Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

Jen says:

add me to the list of people who will no longer purchase your product. I think trying to sneak a major change in Purely O's past consumers is dishonest and deceitful. They are no longer Purely O's, they are O's with 3x the sugar of Cheerios, which I will now be buying for my baby until I can find a no sugar replacement.

8/20/2010 7:23:58 PM

Lori says:

I, too, am disappointed with the change of the Purley O's. I had used these as way to help my now 3-year-old practice eating solid foods. Now my second child is at that stage, and I blindly bought the box and didn't look at packaging since the reasons I bought it before were the organic oat and the low sugar content. I was surprised at the intense sweetness when I popped one in my mouth to test the "hardness" before offering it to my baby. Is there a plan to offer the original formula, but call it something else, like Truly Purely O's?

8/14/2010 10:26:48 AM

Deborah Jackson says:

continuing from my last post...I was just going to recommend this brand to my sister (a non-foodie mom of two who is struggling to make better choices) and guess what, now I can't do that with confidence. CF just "harmed" my sister's efforts and potential to do better. This is what's at stake. People think BP execs should have a hard time sleeping at night...that goes across the board to those who knowingly are working against those who are trying so hard to succeed amidst the the overwhelming barrage of harmful products from "pushers of mediocrity". I so hope that Walmart continues to get very SERIOUS about leading on sustainability and wellbeing (these terms are redundant). Then, the tides will really turn and we can all ride in the uplifting current together (and yes, we'll be buying and thriving, and creating, and being kinder to one another as side effects). Geez. Why wouldn't you want to be a stellar leader in that Cascadian Farms? It's hard, but we need you to do this and it's soooo worth it.

8/13/2010 7:34:46 PM

Deborah Jackson says:

In the Cleveland area we have Giant Eagle stores. They're private label, Nature's Basket has an Organic Toasted Oats cereal with 1 g of sugar/1 cup serving. Just speculating that from a business perspective the product manager's thought they (and they may be right for the short term) could have their cake and eat it too. Keep a good portion of the existing customer base who have grown to like the brand and maybe won't notice all the incremental changes (knowing full well the conditioned human condition to live unconsciously) while broadening the cereal's appeal, thus market/profitability . These issues are about priorities. With these actions, the company's priorities are being spelled out to us even though they're not communicating the full marketing plan directly. Although I think one of the posts said their response letter simply stated that people like sugar. Well, people like loads of things that are undermining our collective and individual efforts toward well-being. And unconsciously, that majority collective is wanting leadership in the marketplace to help them live better (with life-supporting products) especially when they know they are overburdened by our culture's conditioning, habits, time-stress, etc. When a company has a priority to lift up and support our highest good, they don't increase sugar in an established product that is on the brink of experiencing a growing market.

8/13/2010 7:33:37 PM

Deborah Jackson says:

In the Cleveland area we have Giant Eagle stores. They're private label, Nature's Basket has an Organic Toasted Oats cereal with 1 g of sugar/1 cup serving. Just speculating that from a business perspective the product manager's thought they (and they may be right for the short term) could have their cake and eat it too. Keep a good portion of the existing customer base who have grown to like the brand and maybe won't notice all the incremental changes (knowing full well the conditioned human condition to live unconsciously) while broadening the cereal's appeal, thus market/profitability . These issues are about priorities. With these actions, the company's priorities are being spelled out to us even though they're not communicating the full marketing plan directly. Although I think one of the posts said their response letter simply stated that people like sugar. Well, people like loads of things that are undermining our collective and individual efforts toward well-being. And unconsciously, that majority collective is wanting leadership in the marketplace to help them live better (with life-supporting products) especially when they know they are overburdened by our culture's conditioning, habits, time-stress, etc. When a company has a priority to lift up and support our highest good, they don't increase sugar in an established product that is on the brink of experiencing a growing market.

8/13/2010 7:32:05 PM

Elizabeth says:

Yet another mother who got a rude awakening today when she realized she was feeding her baby sugar without intending to. I am shocked that you would change your recipe without putting even a discreet "new and improved!" somewhere on the box. That seems awfully sneaky. And, as other customers have commented, it really makes the name of the cereal ironic. I specifically started buying this cereal instead of the organic "Oatios" because it had no sugar. (Apparently the boxes I was getting from the little organic mart by my house were pretty old.) Well, that's the end of that. I really hope you are taking notice of this avalanche of comments. I'm sure they're just the tip of the iceberg.

7/17/2010 5:01:55 PM

Paul Berolzheimer says:

Hello, I've been buying Purely Os regularly for some years specifically because they didn't contain sugar and were not too sweet. I was very disappointed this morning to take a bite & find something completely different in my mouth. It's getting more & more difficult these days to avoid sugar in breakfast foods, which I & many others still think is very unhealthy. Please put the recipe back to the way it was, if you feel you need to have a sweetened product like this I'd suggest you make it a separate product & give it a different name. Thank you, Paul Berolzheimer Glenda le, CA

6/19/2010 8:00:41 PM

Jenn says:

I am deeply disappointed that you have added sugar to your Purely Os cereal. The reason that I switched from Cheerios to Purely Os was that you did not have sugar in your product. I am no longer going to purchase your cereal.

6/19/2010 8:56:18 AM

Andrew says:

Add my family to the boycott of Cascadian Farms due to the dishonest addition of sugar and corn meal. Maybe a lot of Americans don't care about corn meal and want the sugar, but they're also the ones that won't want to pay the extra $ for organic. I think this will be looked back on as the day they torpedoed their own company.

6/7/2010 12:10:45 PM

Valerie says:

Why did you change the recipe for Purely O's ? Being a diabetic and allergic to corn leaves me with little options. I have enjoyed Purely O's for over 2 years and I am greatly ashamed of your company to see you have added sugar and corn meal to the product. Cascadian Farm was different than the big companies, who have added corn/corn products to processed foods to the extent those of us with allergies can't eat these products.

5/30/2010 9:35:32 PM

Tim says:

Judging by the comments in this thread, you guys are screwed. I too was very angry at the TRIPLING of sugar in the Purely O's cereal. But the jokes on you guys. You will go out of business, quickly if you continue down this road. Nice job guys! You've completely destroyed your reputation in the foodie community.

5/14/2010 7:43:41 AM

Larry says:

Purely O's no more. Nasty email back. Sugar O's now. We sent an email to Cascadian Farms and received a nasty, in-your-face email response back. The email said basically that people in the US like sugar, so to boost sales, we added sugar. Did they survey their clients or general people in the US? I think I'll start complaining to the stores that carry Cascadian Farms cereal, starting now with Whole Foods.

4/27/2010 12:37:05 PM

Earl says:

The last box of chewy granola bars I purchased were hard as rocks.

4/23/2010 6:55:46 PM

kelly says:

I too am extremely disappointed at the changes made to Purely Os cereal. A couple of years ago I was estatic to find Purely Os was truely a wholesome cereal I could feed to my child without concerns about added sugar or other filler ingredients. It never occurred to me to re-read the box label until a few weeks ago and was horrified at what I read. The company took a great cereal and ruined it. There is no reason to spend the extra money on this cereal anymore as it is just like all the other grocery store brands. I did however find an alternative rice based cereal made by Erewhon that I would recommend to others who share my concerns.

4/21/2010 6:14:05 PM

Natasha Dillahunt says:

I am deeply disappointed by the new Purely Os product, and dismayed that the changes in ingredients were made so stealthily and without notice. I hunted high and low for an O cereal free of sugar and other crap and was so impressed when I came upon the original Purely Os, not only by the wholesome ingredients but also by the flavor. I have been buying this product for years and recommended it to every new mom I came in contact with who was feeding their toddler the sugar-filled O brands. Sadly Purely Os aren't so pure anymore. I will not be buying them or any Cascadian Farm products anymore unless a public apology is made and Purely Os are restored to their original recipe.

4/18/2010 9:30:55 PM

Elyn Tromey says:

I, like so many others here, am frustrated about sugar. I was thrilled when I bought a box of Purely O's a few months back: it had no sugar, and was the only O cereal without it. Just now, I opened the box we just bought today, same packaging, and it is loaded with sugar. It tastes horrible. The reason we want sugar-free is that this cereal is for our 11 month-old daughter. I do not want her to eat sugar- there is no reason for it. I don't see how adding sugar even improves the flavor, because it worsens it, and then there's this awful aftertaste. I am greatly disappointed.

4/18/2010 8:28:17 PM

Karen Talluto says:

3 1/2 years of Cascadian Farm Purely O's as a staple product in our home. One box that looks the same, but is filled with something completely different and definitely not what I thought I was paying for. No more Cascadian Farm products in my house. I really don't like liars. Next time you change a product respect your customers enough to change the label. Don't we have truth in labeling laws?

4/13/2010 10:54:48 PM

JonathanE says:

The Purely Os story shows why we should NEVER purchase from big agri-business corporation with short-sighted bottom-line approaches to food. These guys don't care about organics.. No to Cascadian Farms No to Horizon Dairy No to Muir Glen No to Kashi No to Naked or Odwella Juices Yes to Nature's Path Cereals Yes to Cliff Bars Yes to Choice Teas Yes to Eden Foods Yes to Organic Valley

3/28/2010 7:15:37 PM

JonathanE says:

The Purely Os story shows why we should NEVER purchase from big agri-business corporation with short-sighted bottom-line approaches to food. These guys don't care about organics.. No to Cascadian Farms No to Horizon Dairy No to Muir Glen No to Kashi No to Naked or Odwella Juices Yes to Nature's Path Cereals Yes to Cliff Bars Yes to Choice Teas Yes to Eden Foods Yes to Organic Valley

3/28/2010 7:13:35 PM

Erica says:

This is a classic example of big corporations exploiting a small business brand. We live in an age of the informed consumer and their arrogance is insulting to us. There are plenty of breakfast altenatives to cereal we can substitute or use the web to purchase all natural ingredients like www.meandgoji.com. Small company, cool story, hopeully won't sell out.

3/26/2010 2:52:05 PM

Kamele says:

I was so disappointed to find out that you are owned by General Mills, and also that you must have sold out to loading your products with sugar to keep the money-makers making their billions through their drug income, perpetrated by selling products that contain ingredients that make the populace sick... therefore going to market to buy THEIR drugs. Sugar IS a drug if not in its pure original state or in the form of evaporated or dehydrated cane juice. Is this what your products contain, or is the "organic sugar" refined & stripped of its nutrients before going into your cereals? Please do yourself greater justice than selling products to make MORE money, and make truly wholesome organic products that will induce good health for your fellow man, instead. Your original setup of having an organic farm was awesome, but letting the money-making elite groups get a "bite" of the action has corrupted good intentions it seems. No more Cascadian Farm products for our family of 7, sad to say.

3/26/2010 12:48:04 PM

Jane McNamee says:

HELP! I opened a new/fresh box of Cascadian Farms Honey Oats cereal this morning and wondered, “What happened?” The flavor and appearance of the cereal changed substantially from the prior product. I checked the ingredients and found that corn meal had been substituted for barley flour, among other changes. Yuck!! Why the change of ingredients? The former offering was PERFECT! I’ve been eating ONLY your prior-ingredients’ cereal for several years, and no other cereals because I enjoyed your Honey Oats so very much! I just purchased a CASE of your cereal, but I’m not willing to continue eating this changed product! It tastes awful—artificially sweet with a weird odor. The difference in taste is enough that I plan to donate your cereal to a food bank and find something that tastes like your former product—only from a different manufacturer. You now have one fewer “customer for life,” I’m sorry to report.

3/25/2010 6:11:36 PM

Jane McNamee says:

HELP! I opened a new/fresh box of Cascadian Farms Honey Oats cereal this morning and wondered, “What happened?” The flavor and appearance of the cereal changed substantially from the prior product. I checked the ingredients and found that corn meal had been substituted for barley flour, among other changes. Yuck!! Why the change of ingredients? The former offering was PERFECT! I’ve been eating ONLY your prior-ingredients’ cereal for several years, and no other cereals because I enjoyed your Honey Oats so very much! I just purchased a CASE of your cereal, but I’m not willing to continue eating this changed product! It tastes awful—artificially sweet with a weird odor. The difference in taste is enough that I plan to donate your cereal to a food bank and find something that tastes like your former product—only from a different manufacturer. You now have one fewer “customer for life,” I’m sorry to report.

3/25/2010 6:09:25 PM

Yuki Lojhan says:

Thanks to Organic Consumer Association: Cascadian Farms (organic fruits, vegetables and entrees) and Muir Glen are owned by Small Planet Foods, which is owned by General Mills. General Mills is being boycotted for supporting circuses. Wow. I will NEVER support ANY "Organic" company being funded and sponsored by a GMO company.

3/25/2010 3:29:41 PM

Michelle says:

I'm very disappointed that you have changed purely O's to "sugar o's". I really don't care that the sugar, molasses and tapioca syrup are organic; I was buying purely O's because it DID NOT have sugar in it to begin with...that is what made your product different and better. I used to drive 40min. out of my way to Whole Foods just to buy purely O's because my local Grocery did not carry it...I guess I will save time and money now that I will not buy the cereal anymore.

3/23/2010 7:52:35 PM

Brenda says:

One additional note. We don't plan to purchase these anymore. Not only did they stop meeting the nutritional needs of our daughter (and thankfully didn't cause an allergic reaction), the flavor is insipid, sweet and they leave a sticky mess. The only reason she had any is because I poured some out of the box on her tray at which point I noticed they looked different and read the ingredient list. Bad decision to attempt to appeal to generic mass tasters rather than a clearly loyal base. We loved them for our child and for us as adults and would have paid a little more to keep them on the shelves.

3/23/2010 2:00:55 AM

Brenda says:

My husband and I bought Purely O's for our 9 mo old daughter because they had minimal ingredients (good for food allergies) and no sugar and salt. This morning I noticed the O's looked different and discovered her favorite cereal as multiple new ingredients. Thankfully she didn't have a reaction. No more purely O's for us.

3/23/2010 1:33:43 AM

JV says:

So here is another customer, that was so surprised when she tasted the purely O's and suddenly they were awfully sweet. It is the same story, I was looking for unsweetened cereals and was so happy to have found Cascadian's purely O's and now there suddenly they are sweet. I think that we all eat too much hidden sugars. What are you going to do about it???

3/22/2010 11:11:36 AM

Angie Vaughn says:

Ok, so I'm not crazy, you have added sugar to Purely O's. I mean, really? Can you still call them "Purely" O's? Do you even know your target audience? I am very disappointed. Are you aware of the impact of sugar on our obesity epidemic, especially in children? You should know that I'll be hesitant to purchase any Cascadian Farms product in the future. Apparently my family's health is not really a priority of this company (General Mills).

3/21/2010 11:16:08 AM

Phoebe says:

Add me to the chorus of customers bitterly disappointed with the new "Purely O's," now filled with sugar, corn, and other garbage (albeit organic garbage, but so what?). I have been buying this cereal for my 18 month old daughter ever since she first started eating finger foods and searched far and wide for an unsweetened cereal for her. Now the so-called "Purely O's" are nothing of the sort, and, in my opinion, continuing to use this label is fraudulent and deceptive. Shame on Cascadian Farms/General Mills for changing the product by stealth to just another sugary cereal indistinguishable from all the other garbage on the market.

3/20/2010 3:34:38 PM

Megan says:

Wow. So disappointed! We bought Purely O's because there was no refined sugar - a hard find. I let other countless mothers know about it. The new stuff looks different, tastes SOOO sweet. Ish! Last box bought!

3/19/2010 1:13:43 PM

Gayla Jamison says:

Sugar in Purely O's? What a aberration! You've lost a customer. I personally would go through one box a week, but the new version leaves me feeling heavy, as if I'd had a cream puff for breakfast. Why would you mess with perfection?

3/18/2010 9:46:52 PM

Matt says:

Why did you change 'Simply O's'? Very disappointing. Perhaps you should rename them 'simply sugar.'

3/17/2010 11:58:22 AM

J. Marshall says:

Add mine to the list of angry customers who noticed that you have added sugar and molasses to what used to be an admirably short list of ingredients. I looked far and wide to find a cereal to feed to my infants that was organic and had no added sugar. The new o's taste sweet and fake. I am extremely disappointed in your decision and will not be buying them anymore. I hope you will return to your original recipe or offer a new, sugar-free cereal.

3/12/2010 8:43:08 PM

Nikki says:

I'm repulsed right now... I've enjoyed the Honey Nut O's for so long, and purchased a ton of them during a recent sale at my local co-op only to discover that half of the boxes were old formula and half of them were the new formula. So upset that I wasted my money on these revolting attempts at cereal, and now I'm without my delicious morning cereal. I'm so upset. First Tom's of Maine sold out, then Burt's Bees...now Cascadian Farms? Is nothing sacred anymore, or are even the organic companies so obsessed with money that they'd rather short-change their own customers?

3/12/2010 7:18:14 AM

Becky says:

Add mine to the voices of discontent. I am very disappointed with the "new" product. How telling that this change comes on the heels of the sale of Cascadian Farms to General Mills. It makes me sad to think that your lovely company has traded quality for cash. Even if this was not what you intended, I'm sorry to say that it may have been naive to believe that things would stay the same. The product is, quite simply, VASTLY inferior to the quality your loyal customers had come to expect from Cascadian Farm.

3/11/2010 11:42:03 AM

Melissa Dittrich says:

I know these comments are about Purely O's, but I couldn't figure out a place to discuss the Honey Nut O's. Please return to the old cereal! This was the one cereal that all of my four children would eat (we go through 3-4 boxes a week). Now I have 6 boxes on my shelf that will not be eaten- all four of my children are flatly refusing the new cereal- poor texture AND taste. I'm back to square one trying to find a cereal that my children enjoy and that is wholesome- hard to do anymore. Please reconsider!

3/11/2010 6:56:53 AM

Steve H. says:

Add my voice to the many others who have been dismayed at your regrettable decision to add sugar and molasses as ingredients to Purely Os. My household used to go through two boxes a week, but we will no longer be purchasing it any more unless you bring back the prior version. At the going price, that works out to over $450 a year in sales you are losing from my household alone. I am emphatically NOT looking for you to substitute any other sweetener instead of sugar. I do not want honey, fruit juice, agave, etc., irrespective of whether they are organic. I want unsweetened cereal. The selection of such cereals is quite limited, and sadly, you folks have reduced the choice by one, so another cereal company will be getting my $.

3/10/2010 8:25:53 PM

Meredith says:

I just had to add my comment to those that I have read above. I was so disappointed to see the change to the Purely O's ingredients. We LOVED the no sugar version. My children are deathly allergic to sugar and we always buy the Purely O's. I just stocked up with 3 boxes and served them to my children one morning. Thank goodness I noticed the slight change in appearance and read the label before I had to take my children to the ER. I think it was extremely poor taste to change the formula so dramatically without any changes to the boxes. They are no longer Purely O's and shouldn't be marketed that way. We need more wonderful tasting cereals with no sugar. I'm very disappointed in the company and they have lost our support.

3/9/2010 9:17:55 AM

Bruce Geerdes says:

Don't know if this is a fluke, but my local store is stocked again with original formula (1 gram suger) Purely O's. Have you guys changed back? Hope this continues!

3/8/2010 9:27:00 AM

Jean says:

The changes to Honey Nut O's make it truly terrible. It used to be the only cereal my kids would eat, and we bought it by the case (no kidding, 50 or 60 boxes at a time). Now they won't eat it at all. They say, "It tastes just like captain crunch, yuk!" What a shame, that a company would change such a good thing into such a rotten thing. One more lost customer....

3/7/2010 5:02:56 PM

J Jefferson says:

Cascadian Farms is not even supporting our USA farmers, look at the packages and you will see the ingredients from mexico and other places. There are a lot of good organic cereals from companies with ethics and using food grown in our country. I will not be supporting cascadian Farms any longer.

3/7/2010 10:57:58 AM

sunny smith says:

Man. Not only has the number of serving sizes per box gone down and the price gone up, but the new formula was very disappointing. If I wanted sugar in my cereal I'd go for the honey flavored variety. But, when I think of "purely o's" i think of as simple a recipe and taste as possible. Boo.

3/6/2010 6:33:40 PM

C. Payne says:

Hello????? General Mills??????????? Yooo hooooo????? There doesn't seem to be one single solitary positive comment regarding your "Un-Pure-O's" on this entire blog. In fact, you seem to have alieninated a number of formerly hugely loyal customers. "We don't like to brag (ok, we'll brag a little) but if you take a peek at our ingredients, you'll find a whole lotta healthy breakfast going on!" is quite a load, isn't it? It probably sounded good in the boardroom, but it just sounds shady and dishonest to me. So, what Cascadian Farms products do I trust today? Which will I buy? The answer to those questions is NONE. How's that for your, Mr. Kahn? Feelin' good about changing the food industry from "...the inside out..." at this point? The money that I freely spend on healthful and wholesome food for my family will no longer be being thrown your way, Cascadian Farms. Thanks for letting us know how trustworthy you are. I'll be sure to loudly spread the news far and wide.

3/5/2010 2:34:33 PM

Melanie L says:

We are so disappointed. We bought our 15-month-old baby's favorite snack today--Purely Os--only to find it now has sugar in it! What happened to our yummy Os? You've lost our business. And you've made one baby boy very unhappy.

3/4/2010 10:15:20 PM

Lora Kahn says:

I am very disappointed with the new Cascadian Farms Purely Os. For the last few yearsI have been trying to cut down on the sugar I eat, and had been buying this cereal, in particular, because it did not have any sugar. This, along with the oats made for a healthy morning cereal. Now I feel that the company has destroyed this product, and I will have no reason to buy it anymore.

2/28/2010 9:09:41 PM

Kathy says:

Have to add my two cents to everyone else's disappointment in the new Purely O's. I'd searched far and wide for a cold oat-based cereal without refined sugar, and these were it. I generally eat cold cereal only in the warm months, but bought a box recently to change up my breakfast menu. The tip-off was the odd color, and the taste was the giveaway. These are AWFUL. If I want a sugar-filled breakfast cereal, I'll buy Cheerios. PLEASE bring back the old recipe. They were great.

2/28/2010 10:08:21 AM

Missy says:

I have to add to the Purely O's comments, I am upset over the change in formula. First, they taste bad, but more importantly, they added several sugars and corn, all of which I can not have. I was buying about 3 boxes a week and have not bought any since. I would think that, with all the backlash, you would bring back the old formula! PLEASE. It was the only cereal I could eat. :(

2/27/2010 2:09:54 PM

JasonM says:

Ever since Cascadian Farms was sold to General Mills... I knew things would change. Same thing happened to Naked Juices (sold to Pepsi), Green & Black Chocolate (sold to Cadbury), Odwella (sold to Coke), etc. When I shop Organic I really look for the true small-scale food companies that have not been sold. Nature's Path is agreat for cereals... some other good companies are Eden Foods, Choice Teas, endangered species (chocolates), Lundberg Family Farm (rice/grains), Organic Valley (milk, cheese, eggs), etc. We have a vote three times a day to determine what stays on the shelf and what doesn't... vote with your dollars! Say no to Cascadian Farms and others like it!

2/26/2010 8:40:10 PM

Christy says:

We are SO disappointed in you, Cascadian Farm! Purely O's should be renamed Purely Sugar. Like others, I bought several boxes, as I always do, and now am stuck with sugary cereal that no one in the family will eat. Mostly I am disappointed that a brand I trusted changed its formula with no warning and NOT for the better. I will not buy any Cascadian Farm products until I am assured that they will notify the consumer of formula changes.

2/26/2010 10:13:05 AM

Tania Brown says:

My husband and I have purchased Purely-Os many years, so by the time we had our first child two years ago, we felt very comfortable giving her Purely-Os. She loved them. That is, until she had her first try of the new formula -- she tried one spoonful and pushed the bowl away. At the time, we did not realize that the Os themselves had changed and thinking she just wasn't that hungry, encouraged her to leave the Os and drink some of the milk, which she also used to love to do. She tried, swallowing with a pained expression. I tried a single O and could not believe the intense sweetness of this previously wholesome product, not to mention the sickly taste of the milk. While our family does avoid overly refined foods and limits our consumption of sweets, we do not ban sugar completely. Our daughter knows what sugar tastes like and enjoys the occasional sweet treat. However, she appreciates that such foods are enjoyed only in very small quantities, not as a main source of nutrition. We have never taught her that too much sugar is bad for her, but she has acquired that taste on her own by the foods that we've given her. This has been wonderful to observe -- that children don't 'naturally' gravitate to the sweetest foods given to them, so long as we've guided them in the right direction from the very beginning. General Mills, you state that most people will prefer your new sweeter version of Purely-Os; this is such a transparent claim. You are charging the same price per box for your nutritionally vacant Os as you did for your more healthful version -- your greatest benefit is your increased profit margin. Shame on you. I hope that more people realize that this sweetened version of a product is much cheaper to produce. My daughter misses her Purely-Os, but I hope that we're able to find another company that is more deserving of our money.

2/24/2010 2:53:07 PM

Katherine says:

Add our family to the list of disappointed customers. Purely Os were a staple for us. A wonderful snack for our 17 month old that we could be confident was healthy and wasn't loaded with sugar. We are trying to be very vigilant about giving our toddler sugar. We are so dismayed that you would change the recipe for something that was great. The new formula is terrible and if we gave that to our daughter, she would be bouncing off the walls. There is a problem in this country with childhood obesity (not to mention adult obesity) You should consider your customer base before you start tinkering with things like that. Obviously people who are interested in healthful organic food might be concerned about sugar too. I am glad to see that someone is monitoring these posts and can only hope that it will convince you to change back. We will not be buying this cereal again unless that happens.

2/22/2010 6:44:29 PM

Kim Boras says:

i am glad to know i am not the only one frustrated by the change in the recipe for purely os. we buy several boxes at a time, so it was just in the past week that we encountered the new, unannounced and NOT improved formula, which my child, who used to be almost addicted the cereal, will not touch. i am now stuck with the several boxes that we bought unwittingly, but we are switch to trader joe's o's, which are not organic, but do have only 1g of sugar. please, please go back to the old recipe!

2/22/2010 6:15:27 PM

Suzan Wegenast says:

Why on earth would anybody put one more box of sugar cereal on the market? My husband and I loved the original Purely O's and so did our grandkids. We are a no refined sugars/flours household. Unless you go back to the original reciepe we will not purchase your products again.

2/21/2010 2:07:05 PM

kathy wages says:

Wow, just found this site while searching for alternative, and organic foods for my family. Guess I'm to late. Looks like they to have sold out to the major corporations (General Mills). How sad. I do not want anything to do with artificial flavorings, processed sugars, etc. Oh well, back to looking for real organic foods.

2/20/2010 9:51:59 PM

Sharon says:

I have been eating Purely O's every morning for 2+ years, due to food allergies. This used to be a perfect breakfast for me. That has come to an end. 1 box would last me 3 days. Average price 4.99 So, figure I spent about 10.00+/weekly, 40.00+/monthly Casc adian Farm/General Mills can watch that money go to another company until they bring back the old "pure" formula. Very disappointing.

2/20/2010 9:44:08 PM

C. K. says:

I am frustrated and upset that a company that supposedly has our health at heart would stoop to cheapen and degrade the quality of a food. Purely O's were one of the few cereals that I could feed my child with a corn allergy. In this world where every food you eat has a corn derivative in it somewhere, to add more corn is hurting this country's health. The addition of sugar makes the change even more atrocious. In addition, it is deceitful to make these changes with no notice on the boxes. Although I check every time for allergy purposes, my mother did not. Only since the cereal looked different did she check and call me. If you bring the old formula back, I will purchase it again possibly. However, I have lost faith in the trustworthiness of this company. Meanwhile I am on the search for another no sugar, allergy safe cereal for my children.

2/20/2010 3:21:27 PM

Beth says:

The trouble is that this company is no longer about sustainability or nutritious alternatives to the Type II Diabetes time bombs sitting on the cereal shelf. It was purchased by General Mills and unfortunately, it's all about the shareholder now. The results speak for themselves: a newly over-processed product with sugar and corn byproducts added. What a shame.

2/19/2010 1:36:14 PM

Judy says:

The "new" Purely-O's are horrible -- bad tasting and bad for you. Is anyone at Cascadian Farm/General Mills reading these comments? I'm surprised you even put them on your blog. Please go back to the old recipe. What a disappointment.

2/19/2010 9:14:39 AM

Melissa Clark says:

Please go back to the old formula. These taste awful, and the texture is all wrong. I don't know what I'll be able to give to my baby now - something organic and without sugar, and something that tastes good too. I think Cheerios are actually a better option. They have less sugar.

2/18/2010 2:45:19 PM

Helene says:

Finding cereals without sugar in this country that you can happily serve your kids and yourselves is nearly impossible. Obesity and overweight are becoming endemic. And yet, the one cereal which was GOOD now has sugar and corn syrup. What is happening? Please bring the old recipe back. Otherwise, we will have to stop buying this brand.

2/18/2010 7:11:32 AM

Gretchen says:

I am glad to see I am not the only one! I thought I bought the wrong cereal when I tasted my son's Purely O's. Then the next time I went to the store I checked the ingredient list. Yep, SUGAR! Exactly what I was trying to avoid. Any plans to change back to the old recipe?

2/17/2010 9:37:09 PM

Jenn says:

I'm glad I'm not the only one disgusted by the recipe change, and lack of warning, for Purely O's. So when will the old recipe be back? Now would be good since my baby is learning finger foods. Thank you those who posted alternative cereal ideas and thanks to Andrew for posting the original ingredient list and info.

2/17/2010 7:54:21 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:59:18 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:58:44 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:58:23 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:57:52 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:57:21 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:56:52 PM

Sara Chatfield says:

I am writing on behalf of my five-year-old son, who has been eating your Purely O's for breakfast almost every morning since he was a baby. He says they now taste awful, and refuses to eat them. I was surprised to see the quality of the ingredients changed for the worse, without any notification on the package. My son and I (our whole family, actually) wants the old O's back!!!

2/17/2010 2:56:15 PM

Mom says:

No sugarly cereal! I just got a new box and noticed the differences in color and texture. I tasted it and it was overy sweet. I thought I bought a wrong cereal. I looked at the box twice to and found that sugar in now one of the new ingredients. My 2-year-old and I have to look else where for a no added sugar cereal. I will not buy Cascadian Farm products again. Very disappointed.

2/16/2010 11:25:53 PM

Carrie says:

The product formulation changes in Purely O's, Clifford Crunch, and Honey Nut O's are horrendous! Not only do they taste so much worse with the additional sugar and corn, but my corn allergic son is left with 3 less cereals to eat! When you are corn/soy/egg/dairy allergic, it is HARD to find safe breakfast cereals. I refuse to buy any more General Mills or Cascadian Farm breakfast cereals - we already avoid other GM products due to food allergies. For those interested, New Morning Oatios taste MUCh better, are organic, and have much less sugar. Sadly you have lost another customer Cascadian Farms. I donated all of my unopened cereal to the local food bank.

2/16/2010 8:18:09 PM

Barry says:

I used to love the Honey Nut O's, but now the corn has overpowered the flavor, and the texture has totally changed. Please go back to the old recipe, until then I won't be buying any Cascadian Farms products.

2/15/2010 5:18:52 PM

Cris Jones says:

The new recipe for Purely Oh's is TERRIBLE. If I wanted Kix I would buy Kix. I specifically sought out Purely Oh's because it didn't contain sugar. I didn't care about the price, I cared about the quality of the content. And now you've gone and changed the recipe (added corn meal and tapioca syrup and molasses) to reduce the cost to produce and to appeal to a larger consumer base. Yes, I imagine that the new recipe performs better in taste tests, but some of us don't care as much about taste as we do about the quality of the food we are putting into our bodies. Shame on you for perpetuating the terrible eating habits that have created the obesity/diabetes epidemic throughout the country. Purely Oh's is now purely garbage. No thank you!

2/15/2010 1:16:53 PM

stephen johnson says:

I have been a fan of Cascadian Farms Honey Nut O's for many years, buying at least a box every two weeks, and am very disappointed in the recipe change. The cereal used to have the best taste out of all of the Honey Nut O brands that I tried (and I have tried them all!). Now the pieces are smaller, the texture is off, and, most importantly, the taste is poor at best. The flavor is now artifical tasting, and reminds me of the fake fluffy, marshmallow pieces that come in less heallthy cereals. Please return to the old recipe!

2/13/2010 8:05:40 AM

Gary says:

I buy several boxes of my favorite cereal, Purely O's, at a time, and just restocked with the new formula. Shame on you General Mills...no warning, no disclaimer, no taste, and I am gone as a customer. Sugar and fluff and generic pablum............yu ckkkkkkkkkk

2/12/2010 9:13:43 PM

Kate says:

It makes me so happy to see that Cascadian Farms, oops, General Mills is getting the harsh comments they deserve. I have emailed them to voice my own concern and got a response that ended with this: "In keeping with our satisfaction guarantee, we would like to send you an adjustment for your purchase and it will be mailed to the address you have provided. Please allow 10-14 business days to arrive. We appreciate your loyalty to General Mills and hope you continue to choose our products. Sincerely, Imee B. Roberts Consumer Services" Guess what I got? Coupons for Cascadian Farms products! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Why would I waste my time???? BTW, here are the replacements I've found and my daughter LOVES them: 1) Natures Path Kamut Puffs (Kamut is the ONLY ingredient) 2) Natures Path Rice Puffs (Rice is The ONLY ingredient) and 3) Barbara's Bakery Breakfast O's (contain corn) ALL OF THESE ARE ORGANIC!!!!!

2/11/2010 3:50:59 PM

Julie Baughman says:

I went to buy a new box of purely O's & lo & behold they've added sugar. Why in this day & age of childhood--& adult--obesity? What are you thinking? So it's organic...it's still sugar! Of course, after reading many of the comments above I see that you been bought out by General Mills. YOU HAVE SOLD OUT. I will not be buying any more Cascadian Farms products.

2/11/2010 9:47:44 AM

Mark in Palo Alto says:

Disheartened and disgusted. Pure Cane Sugar comes to mind instead of Purely Os. I cannot believe there was no packaging change. The only non-sugar oat O's I could buy has been "quietly" reformulated. I do not expect to have to examine product packaging each and every time I buy it. We used to purchase Cascadian Farm products. This action is egregious enough that we will no longer purchase ANYTHING that is produced by them. Even if I have to purchase non-organic. I feel that betrayed by the company.

2/10/2010 10:24:30 AM

Mark in Palo Alto says:

Disheartened and disgusted. Pure Cane Sugar comes to mind instead of Purely Os. I cannot believe there was no packaging change. The only non-sugar oat O's I could buy has been "quietly" reformulated. I do not expect to have to examine product packaging each and every time I buy it. We used to purchase Cascadian Farm products. This action is egregious enough that we will no longer purchase ANYTHING that is produced by them. Even if I have to purchase non-organic. I feel that betrayed by the company.

2/10/2010 10:22:58 AM

Dave says:

Wow, seems like everyone hates the new formula. Maybe they should change the title of this post ("Everyone Hate's Purelly O's!", or "Joy Bauer Shills for Our Faux-Healthy Cereal!") For those looking for an alternative, we've started giving "Joe's O's" from Trader Joe's to our toddler. Pre-formula-change levels of sugar, and (as an added bonus) it doesn't taste like sugared wood pulp.

2/9/2010 7:43:23 PM

Sadie says:

Another disappointed consumer who will not be buying this product anymore. How sad to think that there was no mentioning of a "new" flavor. They're unoriginal and bland. Put them in the lineup next to Fruit Loops and Kix. Sad!

2/9/2010 8:05:31 AM

Bill Forsyth, III says:

My eagle-eye wife caught the ingredient change on the purely-O's box. Which is pretty impressive on my wife's part since NOTHING else on the box changed except the copyright date. We bought (past tense) purely-O's for our (now 4 year old) son as we were trying to bring him up not so dependent on sugar. We returned the the offending boxes, even the opened one in hopes to impress upon the retailer as to the offensiveness of Cascadian Farm's hypocrisy. We started lurking at grocery stores all over the county and buying every box we could find with the 2008 copyright. Tragically our stash has now come to an end, we've open the last box of of real purely O's. Anybody have any suggestions or know of a stash of the real stuff? I'd be great if I could find a supplier in Akron, OH area, but I'd be willing to buy a case of it if you could prove that it's sugar free. If anybody finds original recipe purely-O's, or an adequate alternative, please email me at cereal@nomademail.co m Thanks, Bill

2/7/2010 9:18:50 AM

Andrew says:

I too have been enjoying this product for years and now am unsuccessfully searching for a new unsweetened cereal now that you have changed the recipe. Purely O's now have much higher sugar than other O's available. I always enjoyed the delicious oat taste combined with barley that none of these cereals have. You also may not realize, and I did not realize until now, how surprisingly unique an unsweetened O's cereal is. All the other options I have seen have some added sugar. For me this is an issue of personal preference, but for some people it is an allergies issue. There is really nothing like the old Purely O's on the market. I am not alone in asking you to please bring back the delicious old recipe!! Call it "classic"... or "unsweetened" if "classic is too self-critical. Found the old ingredients list for comparison on goodguide.com while it was still available. Organic Whole Oat Flour, Organic Barley Flour, Organic Wheat Starch, Sea Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc, and Iron, Sodium Ascorbate, (Vitamin C), Niacinamide, (B Vitamin), Calcium Pantothenate, (B Vitamin), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, (Vitamin B6), Thiamin Mononitrate, (Vitamin B1), Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A), Folic Acid) (B Vitamin), Cholecalciferol, (Vitamin D), Mixed Tocopherols, (Vitamin E). Nutrition Facts * Serving Size 1 cup Amount Per Serving * Calories 110 Calories from Fat 15 % Daily Value* * Total Fat 2g 3% * Saturated Fat 1g 5% * Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g * Trans Fat 0g * Cholesterol 0mg 0% * Sodium 280mg 11% * Total Carbohydrate 22g 7% * Dietary Fiber 3g 12% * Sugars 1g * Protein 3g * Vitamin A 10% * Vitamin C 10% * Calcium 15% * Iron 45% Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

2/5/2010 7:36:21 PM

Andrew says:

I too have been enjoying this product for years and now am unsuccessfully searching for a new unsweetened cereal now that you have changed the recipe. Purely O's now have much higher sugar than other O's available. I always enjoyed the delicious oat taste combined with barley that none of these cereals have. You also may not realize, and I did not realize until now, how surprisingly unique an unsweetened O's cereal is. All the other options I have seen have some added sugar. For me this is an issue of personal preference, but for some people it is an allergies issue. There is really nothing like the old Purely O's on the market. I am not alone in asking you to please bring back the delicious old recipe!! Call it "classic"... or "unsweetened" if "classic is too self-critical. Found the old ingredients list for comparison on goodguide.com while it was still available. Organic Whole Oat Flour, Organic Barley Flour, Organic Wheat Starch, Sea Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Zinc, and Iron, Sodium Ascorbate, (Vitamin C), Niacinamide, (B Vitamin), Calcium Pantothenate, (B Vitamin), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, (Vitamin B6), Thiamin Mononitrate, (Vitamin B1), Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A), Folic Acid) (B Vitamin), Cholecalciferol, (Vitamin D), Mixed Tocopherols, (Vitamin E). Nutrition Facts * Serving Size 1 cup Amount Per Serving * Calories 110 Calories from Fat 15 % Daily Value* * Total Fat 2g 3% * Saturated Fat 1g 5% * Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g * Trans Fat 0g * Cholesterol 0mg 0% * Sodium 280mg 11% * Total Carbohydrate 22g 7% * Dietary Fiber 3g 12% * Sugars 1g * Protein 3g * Vitamin A 10% * Vitamin C 10% * Calcium 15% * Iron 45% Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

2/5/2010 7:32:43 PM

Dan says:

I just opened a box of Purely Os. I just threw out a box of Purely Os. It's disgusting what Cascadian Farms has done to this product, which I had been buying for five years.

2/5/2010 7:48:21 AM

jeanne says:

I too am very unlikely to buy any Cascadian Farms products ever again (after being a huge fan for the past 5 years) after the ridiculous change to Purely O's that makes a mockery of organic food, and treats long-time customers like dupes unable to distinguish between junk and quality, and shows a complete lack of respect for the reason the product has had such loyal fans for so many years; this cereal had been our staple for half a decade since our son was a baby (now he's almost 5), because it tasted great and had no added sugar. I found it when specifically looking for a cereal without the sugar. Then suddenly a week ago our son said it didn't taste right and refused to eat it and I looked at the box and while nothing else on the box had changed the ingredients certainly had - I had one leftover old box and the old ingredients were whole grain oat flour, whole grain barley flour, wheat starch and sea salt, and the new ingredients are whole grain oat flour, corn meal, sugar, oat fiber, wheat starch, sea salt, tapioca syrup, molasses (i.e., they have now added corn meal, sugar, oat fiber, tapioca syrup and molasses and removed whole grain barley flour). It's completely misleading - the new box has a picture of the old Purely O's, but the new cereal looks completely different from the old one. Now we're stuck with cereal we won't eat and can't return because it's opened. I contacted the company to complain and asked where I could get the old formula - they didn't answer the question of where to get the no-sugar version and the response was pat - i.e., they were sorry to hear of my disappointment regarding this reform and would share my thoughts with the appropriate individuals. This is so misguided and a perfect example of large companies getting into the organic business and managing to end up serving us junk by another name; the old product was quality, the new one is one to avoid.

2/5/2010 2:15:45 AM

Dolly says:

I also am among those who bought a box thinking I was getting the same thing my daughter and I loved. I noticed right away they were pale and yellow, and that they tasted sweet. Obviously you changed the recipe to appeal to the sugar lover in all of us. I am so disappointed that you did this, but even worse, you also took out the flavor. Now they are bland styrofoam circles dipped in sugar. While my daughter loved to play with them, she won't eat them. I feel very betrayed by Cascadian Farms for sneaking this change in, and will no longer buy your cereal - even the multi-grain chex that I knew had sugar in them. Cheerios have more flavor and bran now than the Purely O's (that is such a laughable name now), and if they weren't also manufactured by General Mills, I would switch. So disappointed in you for betraying out trust!

2/4/2010 9:26:07 AM

Lisa says:

I was shocked and disappointed yesterday to find that the new box of Purely O's I purchased contains sugar! There is not even a notation on the box that there is a new formula. My fructose/sucrose intolerant son has been eating Purely O's for about 3 years now and because of the change he is no longer able to tolerate it. SAD! His choices were already limited for a breakfast cereal and now he has one less to enjoy. I hope you will reconsider the formula and return to the old one.

2/3/2010 10:05:59 PM

Keri Larson says:

I experienced the same disappointment with Cascadian Farms' Purely O's, and I emailed them a complaint only to receive a boilerplate, insincere "response" saying they taste-tested and confirmed with their audience that the new SUGAR O's are popular! That, of course, was not the question--no doubt sugary sugar snacks are popular in America. My complaint was, aside from their saddening new formulation of tapioca + sugar + molasses, that they didn't signal in any way to people whose health depends on sugar-free foods their new junk-filled recipe. Shame on this formerly health-oriented company for selling out without bothering to alert their constituents.

2/2/2010 8:35:42 PM

Andrew Fitzgerald says:

We used to serve Purely O's to our toddler because of the absence of sugar. You changed the ingredients substantially without informing consumers. So far, the company's response has been that it is still a "low sugar" option at 3 grams and did not introduce any allergens. This is unacceptable. Several fillers were added as well, and it has a completely different, sugary taste. Your failure to alert customers has damaged the integrity of your brand, and it may have introduced sugar into the diets of young children whose families have not yet detected the change. Shame, shame on General Mills. I hope that this lack of ethical conduct will have some impact on your bottom line, but I lament that it likely will not.

2/2/2010 10:36:01 AM

Barbara Katzenberg says:

It was so upsetting this morning when I opened the new box of "Purely O's" and tasted the sugar that you have put into this cereal. How deceptive to continue to call it "purely O's"! THis was one of the only cereals I could eat because of the lack of sugar. There is also molasses , corn meal and tapioca syrup added. I will no longer be buying any of your cereal products. I guess your company believes that sugar sells. That is really so sad. I noticed that there are a lot of postings with messages that reflect my feelings about this change. Why don't you return to the original no sugar or other additive version of this cereal?

2/1/2010 8:49:08 AM

John says:

Sugar in one cup: New Purely O's: 3g Old Purely O's: 1g Cherrios: 1g

1/29/2010 3:11:14 PM

Nicole Kustner says:

I have read all the comments about the Purely-Os, and I may be in the wrong spot, but I wanted to talk about Clifford Crunch and HOW DISAPPOINTED I am with the "great new taste". My kids love this cereal and I was happy to give it to them with organic ingredients, 6g of sugar and 5g of fiber per serving. Imagine my surprise this morning when I opened a new box and they look (and smell) like every other cereal out there. I happened to have an old box in the recycle bin to compare. Why would you increase the sugars to 8g and DECREASE the fiber to 3g???? My sons didn't like the new taste and I'm sorry to say I will tell everyone I know not to eat this "new" Clifford Crunch. Please bring back the old one!!!

1/29/2010 1:40:40 PM

Tonya says:

Count my family among those who will no longer be buying Purely O's. I won't offer this new sugary formula to my toddlers. We bought it because it was so low in sugar and tasted great. Now with triple the sugar and new nasty flavor, there's no room on our breakfast table for this cereal. Please return to the original formula. Thank you.

1/28/2010 7:08:33 PM

Mike says:

We also will no longer be buying the Purely Os now that they have sugar added. We have been buying this for months for our toddler as an organic, sugar-free snack, and we are not interested in yet another sugared cereal alternative (there are too many sugar-added options already). We would greatly welcome the return of the sugar free version, but until then, we will remain former customers. Best regards, Mike Meyer

1/28/2010 4:52:00 PM

Arielle says:

I see that so many others had the same reaction as me when I opened my new box of Purely Os. I knew something was different, checked the ingredients and found the one ingredient I was trying to avoid. I have a two-year-old daughter and I searched for a cereal that was wholesome, tasty and sugar-free. As a person who has also built a brand over many years, I can tell you that for so many of us, the lack of sugar was what made you stand apart. Now you're just one of the masses of sugar cereal producers. PLEASE return to the old recipe. And please respond to these comments on this board so that people understand what to expect. Thanks, Arielle

1/28/2010 8:27:44 AM

Maryam says:

Oh why would you spoil an already perfect product by adding sugar? For two years I've fed my little girl O-Cereal because it was the only cereal I could find that contained no sugar. I'm so disappointed - my daughter has a host of food allergies and it's not easy to find healthy products that she can consume. I feel completely betrayed!

1/27/2010 10:09:25 AM

Maryam says:

Oh why would you spoil an already perfect product by adding sugar? For two years I've fed my little girl O-Cereal because it was the only cereal I could find that contained no sugar. I'm so disappointed - my daughter has a host of food allergies and it's not easy to find healthy products that she can consume. I feel completely betrayed!

1/27/2010 10:08:09 AM

JenniferS says:

I recently bought a box of O's and noticed right away that they looked "wrong" and tasted SO sweet. I thought the company must have accidently put honey O's in the box so I drove to a different store and was shocked to see the same thing! I am SO disappointed and will no longer buy these until they change back to the unsweetened recipe. Purely O's was the only "snack" food that I allowed my 9 month old to eat..and he loved them! I am now on the search for a healthy, sugar free replacement. PLEASE CHANGE THE RECIPE TO THE ORIGINAL O's that WE ALL LOVED!

1/27/2010 8:54:53 AM

JenniferS says:

I recently bought a box of O's and noticed right away that they looked "wrong" and tasted SO sweet. I thought the company must have accidently put honey O's in the box so I drove to a different store and was shocked to see the same thing! I am SO disappointed and will no longer buy these until they change back to the unsweetened recipe. Purely O's was the only "snack" food that I allowed my 9 month old to eat..and he loved them! I am now on the search for a healthy, sugar free replacement. PLEASE CHANGE THE RECIPE TO THE ORIGINAL O's that WE ALL LOVED!

1/27/2010 8:54:20 AM

Monica Manuel says:

I just recently switched over to buying organic foods. This week I bought five boxes of Cascadian ceral for my son and I. Upon eating I thought this is sweet and also wondered why they company have put so much unecessary "organic" sugar in the cereal. My gut lead me to the website. I am saddened to see that I cannot trust all organic companies and I had no idea the company was owned by general mills. I'm taking the remaining four boxes back for a full refund tomorrow. Cascadian people who eat organic do so for he health of their bodies, you can't short change us on that - WE WON'T LET YOU!!!

1/26/2010 11:00:55 PM

Jennifer says:

You have ruined Purely Os. I will not buy the product again and I am going to urge my local Whole Foods and Food Coop to stop carrying them. This is what happens when General Mills buys the company!

1/26/2010 3:34:40 PM

montacki says:

I cannot believe you changed the ingredients of Purely O's. My toddler has been eating this for over a year and now she hates them! They don't taste good anymore and they are too sweet! Why did you add sugar and why didn't you warn people? I will not be buying any more Cascadian Farms products and will warn all my friends about it!

1/21/2010 9:36:21 AM

montacki says:

I cannot believe you changed the ingredients of Purely O's. My toddler has been eating this for over a year and now she hates them! They don't taste good anymore and they are too sweet! Why did you add sugar and why didn't you warn people? I will not be buying any more Cascadian Farms products and will warn all my friends about it!

1/21/2010 9:35:23 AM

Sabrina says:

Those concerned about the unannounced addition to sweeteners to Casacadian Farm Purely O's may wish to do a Google search for "Fooducate" (blog posting from 1/20/10).

1/20/2010 1:58:44 PM

Jay says:

I would also love it if your old Honey Nut O's receipe would return. I too am conscious about what I feed my family. I am confident however that you will change it back. Too much of a money loss would be a detriment to your company. If this many folks are letting you know of their disappointment in your products, (somewhat too angrily and rudely I might add), just imagine the ones who have not complained yet. The original version was perfect! The old'ens truely are the good'ens. Try to cut costs through advertising or something. Then atleast you can keep the current customers that you have. Thanks, Jay

1/19/2010 2:44:48 AM

Tom M. says:

I am shocked (and actually very deceived) that you added SUGAR to this brand. My toddler used to eat this all the time for the sole reason that this did not include Sugar or evaporated cane juice. Please revert to the old recipe.

1/18/2010 11:13:28 PM

Jennfier says:

Wow, I am glad I looked online about this issue! I have been buying Purley O's for years now and eat them almost every morning. About a month ago I purchased a box and when I opened it, I noticed the O's looked different. They also tasted different, and in my opinion, not very good. I threw the box out, figuring I just got a bad batch. I bought more about a month later and it still had the same problem. Now I am realizing they have changed the formula for good. I am not happy at all with this change and I now am eating other cereal brands. One thing I noticed about the new Purely O's was how sweet they were! I had to check the box to make sure I didn't buy the honey nut kind by mistake. Why would you guys even change them to make them sweeter?! If your customers wanted a sweetened version of the O's they would buy the honey nut ones! PLEASE change the recipe back to the original formula. I rarely ever comment on anything like this, but I am very upset about the change! This was one of my favorite cereals and now I no longer eat or buy it. You guys should really listen to your customers! So far I have yet to see any *positive* comments about the change. That should tell you something...

1/18/2010 10:28:13 AM

Carin Ahlberg says:

As a mother of three, and devoted Cascadian Farm consumer, I can't imagine why more sugar was added to previously excellent product. We consumed about 2,3 boxes of Purely O's per week until my children all the sudden told med how they tasted differently. Naively, I thought it would be marked on the box if any changes of the products had taken place...then I noticed the increased sugar content. This made us lose faith in your entire brand. I used to look for the Cascadian Farm products, now I just grab the less expensive Whole Foods own brand of frozen berries and vegetables, cereal etc.

1/14/2010 7:29:22 AM

Tammy says:

My son handed me this cereal and said what is wrong with this! It tastes terrible! E-mail them-they will send a refund if you are unhappy!!

1/14/2010 5:42:17 AM

Melissa says:

To all those upset by the deceptiveness of adding of sugar and other sweeteners to Purely O's without properly alerting consumers, many of whom are parents of young children: I posted earlier that I planned to switch to Cheerios out of protest. However, it occurred to me that, of course, both Cheerios and Purely O's are manufactured by General Mills. Trader Joe's "Joe's O's" appears to be at least one alternative, and there are others as well.

1/13/2010 9:40:26 PM

Doug says:

This morning as every morning I look forward to a big bowl of Cascadian Farm Purely O's. I've enjoyed them through the years, and I have to go out of my way to purchase them because not every store stocks this product. Well, I have to say I was quite surprised when after my first spoonful this morning they didn't seem right. I got up out of my chair and looked at the ingredients on the box, and low and behold, these are not the Purely O's that I was so fond of. These O's seem rather tasteless to me. To express a cynical view, it looks like the accountants have taken over. I guess corn meal and sugar are less expensive than barley flour. This reminds me of a favorite beer of mine, Rolling Rock, which was brewed in glass-lined tanks in Latrobe, PA. It was bought out by Anheuser-Busch and then brewed in Newark, NJ. Believe me, the taste was never the same, and now that the brand has been tainted, it is being sold off. There's plenty of bland oat cereals on the market, and there's no need to pay a premium for a product that tastes like every other product out there. I will not be buying any more Cascadian Farms cereals until the original Purely O's return.

1/13/2010 7:32:27 PM

Janet says:

I was very disappointed to open a box of Purely Os this morning for my 2 year old daughter only to find that they now join the long list of sugary cereals on the market. Yecch! If I wanted my daughter to start the day on a sugar high then I would have bought the honey nut version. The least you could do was re-name them to accurately reflect the new ingredients: PURELY SUGARY O's. I will not be buying them again. Shame on you.

1/13/2010 11:37:30 AM

Steve says:

The original Purely O's had a corner label with "No added sugar" on the front of it. Then this label disappeared but the ingredients were the same. Then General Mills added sugar and changed the recipe, but no indication on the box it had changed! What is happening behind the scenes? Please bring back the original recipe with NO SUGAR! All the sugar aficionados have plenty of choices, people who do not like added sugar or others who have health issues with sugar, now have NO choice. Thank you for consideration of this request.

1/12/2010 7:42:58 PM

Melania says:

Any chance the old Purely O's recipe is going to be used again? It was perfect for breakfast and snacks, and it was so hard watching my 2 year old refuse his favorite cereal. I wasn't nice to notice new (and not better) ingredients in the exact same box...

1/12/2010 12:56:32 PM

devon says:

I am shocked and incredibly disappointed to discover that you added sugar to Purely O's. I have bought them for my son (now 2) as his first cereal/snack precisely because I wanted to avoid sugar in his food. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a morning cereal/snack food that didn't contain sugar of any kind and was thrilled when I found the old Purely O's. My son loved them, but lately started eating bowls at a time. I had attributed it to a growth spurt until I tasted one the other day and discovered it was sweet. No wonder he likes them so much. Reading the recipe and discovering that you had added both sugar and molasses was unbelievably irritating. To make the change without any mention on your packaging is deceitful. We've been buying boxes of these every week for the past two years, but you've now lost me as a customer completely. If I wanted to spend $4-5 on a box of sweetened cereal, I'd buy Cheerios.

1/12/2010 8:40:13 AM

Dawn Madell says:

I will never be able to trust the Cascadian Farms brand again. How could you make such a huge change (such as adding sugar --and not just a little sugar!) to your "Purely O's" and not even make mention of it. I bought this cereal for it's lack of sugar. I thought it was a fantastic product. Not only did it not have sugar, but it was delicious. I can't believe that I had to discover this change mid bite. It is so unbelievably deceitful. I will be putting up a sign in our Food Co-op to alert others to this HUGE change.

1/12/2010 6:49:21 AM

Frank says:

The new Purely O's are sickeningly sweet tasting. At first I thought we had a bad batch. We've made the mistake of buying them again, and the Honey Nut O's (one of my previous favorites) thinking that they'd be "normal" again. They weren't. Both are horribly over sweet, and the corn flavor is overpowering. It seems like they're trying to copy all the other overly sweet corn kids cereals out there. Why? What happened to the oats? We used to buy these all the time, but we won't be customers anymore and will be discouraging others from being customers as well unless the old formulation comes back. And it won't be good enough to just covert to the old recipe-- something on the box will have to make that very obvious for us to notice it and risk buying them again because I have no desire to be buying lots of sugar and corn and paying a high price for it.

1/11/2010 11:52:27 AM

Andrew says:

I have to echo all the discontent expressed by other Purely O's customers. It was a staple food for our daughter but we will no longer be purchasing the cereal. I am annoyed that the recipe was changed, but I am angered that it was done without any sort of notification of a new recipe on the box. If Cascadian Farms does not realize that their customers care about the ingredients of their products then they do not understand an important and vocal segment of their customer base.

1/11/2010 8:57:30 AM

Clare says:

I opened a new box of Purely O's this morning without realizing that the recipe had changed. Neither of my kids would eat the cereal, so I checked the label and was shocked to see that it had changed. The reason I have been buying Purely O's is that it was the only cereal in the grocery store without added sugar. We will not be buying Cascadian Farms cereal again.

1/11/2010 7:40:51 AM

Drew Kaiden says:

My wife and I echo the sentiment expressed by those furious with General Mills' decision to add sugar to their Cascadian Farms "Purely" Os recipe. Until Cascadian Farms issues an apology for altering a staple of the organic-conscious family's pantry, without warning (even the euphamistic "New and Improved" would have alerted us to examine the nutrional panel before purchasing three more boxes), we will boycott Cascadian Farms' entire line. (A little business advice, when you are the only game in town, you have 100% of market share.)

1/10/2010 7:43:41 PM

Jay says:

Also, Purely Os is not an inexpensive cereal. It was worth the premium price when it filled the need for a whole grain oat, PURE cereal with no added sugar or fillers. Why would anyone continue paying this money for a 9oz box of cereal when you can get a jumbo box of a (now) comparable product for probably the same cost?

1/10/2010 3:57:12 PM

Beth says:

I am so disappointed that you have changed your Purely O's recipe. It doesn't have that simple oat flavor anymore, plus it is way too sweet. A friend recently asked me for a cereal recommendation, as she was having trouble finding one without added sugar. Sadly I had to tell her I no longer can recommend Purely O's, and I myself am searching for a new brand. Please, please, please change back to your old recipe!

1/10/2010 1:36:35 PM

Paul C says:

Its perplexing why Cascadian Farms would make this change. You already had a cereal with sugar - the honey version. Why change one of the few good cereals that did NOT have added sugar? My wife cannot eat sugary foods due to her hypoglycemia and now we just won't be buying it anymore. Since its your bottom line that matters - check how bad the sales of this cereal have become with the change. Regionally at least, all the retailers (health food & non-health food stores) have said that once the 1g of sugar boxes were sold out, the new version has been gathering dust on the shelves. Please change it back!

1/10/2010 8:33:36 AM

Melissa says:

Our toddler refused to eat your cereal yesterday after 2 happy years. We couldn't figure out why, until we tried it ourselves. It is now a sugar cereal with 3x the sugar of Cheerios, not to mention corn meal. Sadly, Cheerios is now a better option. We won't be buying your product anymore, and we'll spread the word to everyone we know.

1/10/2010 8:24:34 AM

Paul and Michelle says:

We wanted to add our voices to the rising tide of discontent... Our eldest son, who's now five, loved this cereal, and must have eaten three hundred boxes over the past four years. Our youngest son just turned one, and to celebrate his birthday, we bought him his first box of Purely-Os... I'm sure you can imagine our horror and disgust when we opened the box and tasted the new formulation! How dare you add sugar, molasses, and -- for the love of God -- corn, and continue to call these Pure!! There is a small but significant group of discerning parents out there that bought your cereal because it was a healthy and tasty alternative for their kids. We cannot believe you would willingly alienate so many of your most positive supporters just because your focus groups (surprise, surprise) wanted more sugar. Those who want candy for breakfast have plenty of alternatives from which to choose. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Do the right thing and change it back.

1/9/2010 7:56:12 PM

John says:

Our son is a very, very picky eater. Purely Os was the only cereal that he would eat. When our mother-in-law purchased a box on our trip down to Texas, we thought that maybe it was a regional change. Coming back home and opening a new box, we see that is not the case. I have no idea what we are going to do for cereal for him now. Please reintroduce the original Purely Os as a "classic" or "unsweetened" version! We will not buy another Cascadian Farm product until you make this change.

1/9/2010 12:38:12 PM

David says:

We have been buying Purely O’s for four years. We recently sat down to breakfast with our two kids with one open box and one new box of the cereal. When the open box was empty, we opened the new box and poured it into a bowl and immediately noticed the pasty white color and foamy texture (not even matching the picture on the box) and then tasted the sugary “food” product that even our four year old thought was “too sweet”. The packaging between the two versions is identical but the products are completely different. This is a deceptive and unacceptable way to change a product. The main reason that we bought this product and I suspect the main reason that others bought this product is that it was made from whole grains and did not have sugar. Changing it to have purified ingredients—oat fiber, tapioca syrup, sugar—instead of whole ingredients without notification or an indication on the packaging shows a complete disrespect for your customers. We will bring the two boxes back to where we purchased them and ask the store not to carry your products anymore. Furtherm ore, your replies to comments on this blog indicating that your research viewed this change as an improvement does not ring true as usually cereal companies put “new and improved” or “now with less sugar” on the box when they make a change. Why did you not advertise “now with added sugar and less whole grain!” on the box if the changes were an improvement.

1/9/2010 10:26:19 AM

Rosanne Cowen says:

It was by pure happenstance that I absentmindedly grabbed an "O" before handing some to my 2-year-old as she awaited her breakfast this morning. I nearly gagged! I was in disbelief! I figured that there had been a packaging error. I didn't think for a MOMENT that a brand like Cascadian Farm would secretly change their formulation without announcing it on the package. "Organic " implies more to me than ingredients that meet certain standards. It implies a kinder, gentler, consumer-friendly way of doing business. I have overpaid for your cereal for TWO YEARS because of the absence of sugar. Adding extra sugar, corn and molasses to your cereal was poor business. Doing so without CLEARLY alerting your faithful customers was unconscionable. I n December, General Mills announced a reduction in sugar in certain of their cereals. I find it ironic that you had already decided to ADD sugar. What an irony. Shame on you, Cascadian Farms!

1/8/2010 9:12:25 AM

Fuzzy O's says:

very disappointing! my 20 month old used to love the original. I thought there was something odd about the new box but just thought I was imagining it (the box did not say anything about this being "new" recipe, etc.) so I didn't think much of it. My little one, however, immediately noticed a difference-- she shouted "fuzzy." "Fuzzy O's" and threw it on the ground. Please go back to the original healthy version. That was the only reason I was buying this brand.

1/7/2010 5:53:46 PM

Roni says:

How you can call this cereal "Purely O's" is beyond me. SUGAR!!??? Really???? CORN?? Really?? Why do we need another corn based,sugary cereal in the grocery aisles? And it is very sneaky to not announce a change on the box. I bought two boxes and will now have to throw them out. Why change a great cereal? If a person wants a sweetened O cereal they can purchase the Honey version of your O's. I'll have to find another brand to feed my family. Hopefully, you'll hear your customers and change back to the original recipe.

1/6/2010 8:21:58 AM

Mary says:

I am really upset about the ingredient change to the so-called Purely O's, so I will add my complaint to the list. This has been my 3 year-old's favorite ever since he was old enough to eat it, and I was looking forward to it being my baby's first crunchy finger food. I just happened to have a bite of it yesterday, and I had to check the box. I thought I had bought the wrong cereal - it tasted awful and sugary. Sure enough, the ingredient list has not only sugar but now also molasses and corn. Like many others, I had been faithfully buying this cereal for the specific reasons that it tasted really good and had no sugar. Now I feel like I might as well be eating Froot Loops. I can guarantee I will not be buying this again, and it makes me really sad. Please, Cascadian Farms, if you must make this awful version, can't you at least have an original-formula version, too?

1/5/2010 5:35:42 PM

Mary says:

I am really upset about the ingredient change to the so-called Purely O's, so I will add my complaint to the list. This has been my 3 year-old's favorite ever since he was old enough to eat it, and I was looking forward to it being my baby's first crunchy finger food. I just happened to have a bite of it yesterday, and I had to check the box. I thought I had bought the wrong cereal - it tasted awful and sugary. Sure enough, the ingredient list has not only sugar but now also molasses and corn. Like many others, I had been faithfully buying this cereal for the specific reasons that it tasted really good and had no sugar. Now I feel like I might as well be eating Froot Loops. I can guarantee I will not be buying this again, and it makes me really sad. Please, Cascadian Farms, if you must make this awful version, can't you at least have an original-formula version, too?

1/5/2010 5:34:39 PM

georgia says:

I just want to say that I agree with all of the comments about the change to purely O's. I am glad I had bought so many boxes last time they were on sale, guess our household had a couple more months of our daily staple than many others did. I also hope you offer the original recipe. The current recipe will never come into our house again! I also agree with how disappointing that the box was the same, so none of your faithful customers had a clue until they were ready to eat breakfast.

1/5/2010 4:47:36 PM

Mary Beth says:

At first, when I got a box with the new formula of purely os, I thought it was a manufacturing mistake! I returned the box to the store and was planning to notify the company of the error. There was nothing on the box to indicate that there had been a change. Haven't you heard that many people have diabetes and other health issues that require them to avoid sugar? It was completely shocking to eat the new formula and find this horrible new taste and no warning on the box whatsoever. I think this was purely a change for the company's bottom line and not thoughtful of the customers who have been eating purely os for years. I'm extremely disappointed in Cascadian Farms.

1/5/2010 3:42:10 PM

Sad says:

I came to the site to check out what comments people had been leaving and to see if they had the same problem as me... They did. The new O's are so saddening, they taste so different (read: awful) that it put a dampener on my morning routine. Only orange juice for me this morning. Please change it back. :(

1/5/2010 1:36:35 PM

Sue Concilio says:

One spoonful of my new box of purely O's & I thought I inadvertently bought the wrong box of cereal. But unfortunately I did not. I could not believe my eyes when I compared the just finished box w/ the new box! Sugar, molasses, corn!!?? Why would all these changes have been made without even as much as a "new formula" on the box so I would have read the ingredients. I thought I could always depend on Cascadian Farm to provide a great tasting, healthy & nutritious product. PLEASE go back to the original great tasting cereal. I will definitely be searching for another brand in hopes of finding something similar to the original formula without sugar, molasses & corn.

1/3/2010 7:52:22 PM

Johann Chemin-Danielson says:

My whole family is really disappointed by the modification in the formula of the Honey Nut O's. Their taste is far from being as good as the previous one, and we are all surprised to see corn meal being part of the recipe. In addition they look industrially yellow plastic-like, not healthy at all. Please go back to the previous recipe. In the meantime our family is going to look for another good tasting cereal. Let us know when the good old thing is back in stores. Thanks.

1/3/2010 12:14:29 PM

Victoria Winkler says:

I am sooo disappointed to see the change in the Purely O's. This has been a mainstay in my house for the kids for the past 6 years. It has been a great to have something they love without sugar and the cheaper corn ingredients. I had been buying these by the case as my 4 and 6 year old still love to eat them dry out of a baggie. So great for the car and the lunch box. We also mix them with a low sugar cereal sometimes. You already had the honey o's so why the sugar? To mask the off flavor of the corn I guess. I will not be buying this new version or any of your other cereals anymore. I think you will find your organic customers are more educated and discriminating than you think. There is more to buying healthy food than just looking for the organic label. Shame on you for trying to pass this off as a healthy thing to feed our babies. Thanks General Mills.

1/3/2010 11:35:39 AM

Bruce Geerdes says:

Just wanted to add my name to the list of those disappointed with the Purely O's change. While I wouldn't go so far as to say we'll never buy any other Cascadian Farms products, we are definitely looking for a new cereal (and returned the second unopened box to the store). I miss the oatie flavor and the 1g of sugar.

12/31/2009 10:27:40 PM

jsc says:

the new purely o's are horrible. you have to change back to the previous recipe. there was NO improvement with this change. i cannot imagine what market you are trying to attract with this adjustment.

12/31/2009 6:14:21 PM

Brian Olson says:

Good-morning! I have really enjoyed Simply O's for years. I even drive to a store a bit of a distance away to get them. I purchased my usual 3 boxes of "O's" 2 days ago, and yesterday opened one and dove into my favorite breakfast. I thought I had grabbed the wrong product! Unfortunately, I actually had! You changed it on us. No sugar in the morning for me! What's the alternative? Please, a suggestion with oats and no sugar. Thank-you! Brian Olson Atlanta, Georgia

12/31/2009 9:47:45 AM

beth says:

so sad to hear that simply 0s are gone, and now we only have sugar options. i will never buy again.

12/30/2009 10:29:02 PM

Christina Le Beau says:

My daughter wouldn't eat the latest box of O's that I purchased, and when I tasted them and checked the label, I figured out why. What on earth were you thinking?! You added sugar and corn to a product that many mothers rely on as a healthier alternative to Cheerios, but now it's no different. "Organic" is irrelevant here. Unless you go back to the old formula, we won't be buying another box of O's. And I know I'm not alone. You have really alienated your core customer base. The people who bought the original O's were NOT the same people who bought Cheerios. So why would you want to duplicate that inferior cereal? It's a strike against healthier food alternatives. Shame on you.

12/30/2009 11:45:55 AM

Debra M says:

I've just heard the news.....and I'm hoping you'll go back to the old healthier version in the Purely O's. This is the one cereal that both my daughter and I love and can eat due to dietary restraints. I'm hoping you'll change......there's a reason we love your brand.

12/29/2009 11:34:23 PM

GW says:

It is frustrating to say the least that a highly respected organic company drops their standards. It is only going to get worse folks.

12/29/2009 10:22:45 PM

meg says:

please lower your sugar levels! we loved it just the way it was, and wont be buying it with higher sugar levels. PLEASE GO BACK! thanks!

12/29/2009 9:18:14 AM

Susan says:

I was wondering why I was having a hard time finding these in stores and why some stores had them on clearance! I thought they were being discontinued. Unfortunately, changing to add more sugar is the same as discontinuing them to me :( My son loved these and I was a happy Mom knowing they only had 1g of sugar per serving. Now they have 3 times that amount. I am beyond disappointed. PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE change them back! Otherwise I am also not going to buy them anymore and my son will be horrible disappointed :( I'm one bummed Mom!

12/28/2009 10:03:42 PM

Richard in Seattle says:

We just opened our last box of Purely O's and will be returning them to the store. If I wanted Honey O's I would have bought them - what sold me on Purely O's was the lack of sugar. I'm not sure where you did your research, but had it been done properly you would have noticed there is a movement away from sugar and sweeteners of any type that have been causing a huge increase in the weight and health of school age children. I saw in a previous response you thanked the few who have commented - these are the ones who cared enough to look you up thinking there must be some kind of mistake (it took me 2 boxes before I believed it). I'm sure there are many more who have just stopped purchasing. It also makes me question all of your other products and what ingredients you may have added that can't be detected and that we, your customers may consider negative. Bye bye mega corporation posing as a quaint farm here in Washington.

12/28/2009 9:22:10 PM

Nicole W says:

Synthetic, sweet, almost rectangular, blocks fell from my "Purely O's" box of cereal. NEVER again will I buy any product from Cascadian Farm. And believe me - that is saying a lot. I live in Berkeley CA and can buy any of your products at any of 15 grocery stores within 5 miles of my house. Your products will not be purchased by me after poisoning my kid with that horrid reformulation without any warming. Should you choose to go back to the wholesome product that you once offered, I will resume buying purely O's as well as your other products. You are just another corporate sell-out to the sugar industry - a cog in the wheel that poisons kids every day. How do you feel about that?

12/27/2009 10:32:33 PM

Cascadian Farm says:

Hi Sara from New York. All certified organic food does not contain any genetically modified ingredients. This is a requirement for being certified organic as part of the national organic standards. You can read more about what makes food organic on our Why Organic section. - The Cascadian Farm team

12/27/2009 5:34:05 PM

Lisa says:

Question regarding Honey Nut O's: I purchase this cereal st Whole Foods and Publix....same UPC number, 021908274751 different cereal INSIDE the box?? Why is this? Calories different and one box (publix) says Founded in Skagit Valley and the other (Whole Foods version) says Upper Skagit....why is this??? OMG I do not understand the one from Whole Foods, in my opioion is a MUCH BETTER Cereal.....HELP....I just want to know why this is happening. I live in south florida =...broward county....I was going to ask Publix via email....but thought I would give you the opportunity to answer first. Lisa

12/27/2009 4:43:10 PM

Sara From New York says:

I would like to know if your cereal products are Genetically Modified Food or Organic Food. Because your product PLU code number is same as GMFood PLU code number.

12/26/2009 4:38:17 PM

Jay says:

It's nearly impossible to find a cold cereal that contains no sweeteners, let alone one that tastes good (like the original Purely Os). You, along with every other cereal maker, already offer a multitude of sweetened cereals. Why can't you keep just one free of sugar? ..not to mention the cornmeal ...This is ridiculous. I found some older, original formula boxes at a store and bought them all. Once they are gone you can be sure I will not be buying any of your cereals again.

12/25/2009 11:34:17 PM

jonathan in brooklyn says:

My wife and I shop at the park slope food coop - a haven of community minded people who sell great organic and local food. Purely O's weas definitely a staple for the breakfast. But our bowl from a fresh box was differnt ! sugar in the bowl and on the label! WTF !!!

12/25/2009 9:51:34 PM

Andrew P says:

I hope that the company is paying attention to the posts to this blog. My sentiments echo everyone else's here. What a disaster! A good, wholesome, whole food made into crap. I'll never buy this product again, and I'll look more closely at anything I buy from Cascadian in the future. Cascadian, we suggest you respond to this torrent of unfavorable feedback. The organic market offers more choices than ever and it is bad news to be losing a slew of customers like this....

12/25/2009 11:57:36 AM

Kim says:

I'm so mad to find sugar added to Purely O's. This is the first food we've given our 7 month old son. We want to keep sugar out of his diet as long as possible. To find sugar added has caused us to search for another cereal. Extremely disappointed!

12/25/2009 8:24:41 AM

LizD says:

My twin boys' first finger food (and a daily staple) WAS "purely Os" because they were the only sugar free Os I could find. I was really upset to find out that they now contain sugar. I agree they should be renamed "Impurely Os" or "Just Another Brand of Os". I am no longer buying Cascadian Farms products, I now buy Barbara's Bakery Organic Brown Rice Crisps. They don't have sugar and are sweetened with fruit juice and my boys love them.

12/22/2009 6:00:01 PM

Adam says:

I will add my name into the list of previous customers that will no longer be purchasing Cascadian Farm O's due the introduction of sugar into the cereal. Adam

12/22/2009 1:32:06 PM

Lindsey Eastman says:

I am very disappointed with the change of ingredients to your "purely o's" cereal. There is nothing pure about sugar, tapioca syrup and cornmeal being added to a previously delicious and healthy cereal. My 18 month old daughter loved the old formulation as finger food or with some delicious organic milk. Unfortunately she will never eat this new formulation. I feel betrayed to have purchased four boxes only to get them home and see the difference in the cereal before even trying to vile little critters. All four boxes went straight to the recycle bin. I will continue to boycott your products until you return to the original, healthy and loved formulation. You already have your Cheerios, let us have our "Purely O's"!

12/21/2009 5:37:08 PM

Debbie says:

I was shocked and SO disappointed to find that Purely O's have been reformulated - and without so much as a peep out of the company that the product is different. I have searched and searched to find a whole grain cereal without sugar or other nutritionally-empty ingredients (tapioca syrup?) and Purely O's was the best of the very few out there. Then I had a second shock when I discovered that Cascadian Farm is now owned by General Mills! The only company it would have been worse to sell out to would have been Nestle - they've been dumping baby formula in third world countries for decades and are responsible for millions of babies starving or dying of dysentery (check out Baby Milk Action on the web). It is very clear that the new owners of Cascadian Farm are primarily interested in expanding the market share of Purely O's by making it more appealing to the vast majority of Americans who like sugary, chemical-laden food. It is very sad that, in spite of the fact that they already market Cheerios, they had to ruin a product loved by a minority in order to sell more to the majority. I have now absolved myself from any feelings of allegiance to Cascadian Farm and will NOT buy ANY of their products again.

12/21/2009 5:24:30 PM

Jill Wilson says:

Take the sugar out of the Purely-O's!!! Save our children - and their teachers - from unncessary (and bad tasting) sugar buzzes! There is no room for sugar in a healthy breakfast. How disappointing it is to have a good product turn bad. I, too, will boycott all Cascadian Farms products until the good stuff comes back. I'll put my money where the sugar AIN'T!

12/20/2009 3:21:32 PM

Rochelle says:

Others have chimed in with their disapproval of the change to the Purely O's cereal and I have to agree. You have destroyed the only flavorful organic O cereal on the market that we have found (and we tried a lot of brands). I can't blame you for continuing to use the photo of the previous recipe, since these look completely unappealing, but it is misleading. We came home with four boxes today, only to find our favorite O's have been swapped out for much sweeter, seemingly starcher O's. Please change them back!

12/20/2009 3:12:58 PM

Robyn says:

I too am so dupset about the Purely Os change. Are you going to change your Purley Os back to the original recipe.? They were my2 year old son's most favorite cereal and snack food. Now he can't eat them since he's allergic to corn. Please! He cries for the old version!! Anyone know where I can get a few boxes of the "old" purely Os??

12/20/2009 1:27:04 PM

Kristie Williams says:

It's nice to see I'm not the only one completely disappointed and at a loss for why on earth you've changed the formulation of Purely O's. This used to be my favoriet cereal, absolutely perfect with a banana sliced on top. Not only does the cereal look weird now but it tastes awful. No surprise with nearly a teaspoon of sugar in a single serving! I also find it completely misleading to not label newer boxes (on the front) with some sort of note about the newly added sugar. My box went straight into the trash along with the $5 I had spent on it.

12/17/2009 12:53:15 PM

Beth Chimera says:

Sadly, I have to add my name to the legions of formerly loyal customers who will no longer be buying Cascadian Farm products. Your Purely O's were my four-year-old son's first finger food and have been a staple breakfast for him ever since. We are never without a box or two in the house. This morning we opened a new box and were surprised to see that they looked different and then were dismayed to find that they tasted like the sort of sugary cereal we (and all of the discerning parents we know) scrupulously avoid buying for our kids. Even my four year old said, "I like the old kind of O's better." Our younger son, just beginning solid food now, will not be eating any of your products unless you return to the original formulation. In an era when childhood obesity is at epidemic proportions, your company's decision was deceitful, unconscionable, and deeply disappointing.

12/17/2009 12:35:43 PM

Ed Fatula says:

The formulation change to the Honey-Nut O's is wrong. These now taste like old, stale fortune cookies!! The baked texture is mushy, there is too much sugar and too much almond flavor. You have lost a regular and loyal customer, and I WILL tell everyone I know that your products are now not on my "Purchase" list! Please return to your prior formulations... And THEN tell everyone that you've gone back to your REALLY GOOD product making.

12/15/2009 9:00:57 PM

Brenda Smith says:

Coke was able to salvage their good name and their customer base by ditching the blunder of New Coke and going back to the original recipe everyone loved. Please learn from their mistake, CF, and do it sooner than later. Your loyal fan base - the people who were organic before organic was cool, still want to eat healthy foods, and we are winning over our friends and family by our healthy lifestyles. Don't make us have to go back to making our own porridge. I know I will, if you don't bring back my healthy breakfast.

12/15/2009 1:59:54 PM

maxine apsel says:

Guess I'm not the first to say you have lost a loyal customer. I agree with "Grandma" that Purely O's would be better labeled IMPurely O's from now on unless you put it back the way it was... NO sugar, NO tapioca syrup (whatever that is) and bring back the barley! You already have Honey O's and more. Why did you ruin a good thing?

12/14/2009 12:18:57 PM

LCP says:

Apparently just had my first box of the "new" Purely Os. Yuk. Sugar? Cornmeal? In a "whole grain oat" cereal? forget it. no more.

12/14/2009 9:29:14 AM

Jessica says:

We tried to find O's w/o sugar and were so happy to discover your brand. O's are a staple breakfast and snack food for our toddler, so imagine my horror when I ate a few one day and they were sweet! The packaging had not changed to reflect the added sugar. Not only have you ruined a wonderful product, but you were not upfront about this change (because you knew we concerned parents would be angry) and, as we try to teach our children, withholding the truth is akin to lying. No more Cascadian Farm in our house!

12/12/2009 7:17:17 PM

Enrique says:

Because you've added sugar to your "purely o's" we will no longer be a customer. If you bring back the original formula we'd gladly purchase it again, but there's no denying your secret change has been a true dissapointment.

12/12/2009 6:53:37 PM

Jarasa Kanok says:

In one day, with one product reformulation, I have gone from being a huge fan of Cascadian Farms to being a disappointed, frustrated, and angry former customer of theirs. The reformulation of the Purely Os (the only cereal I would feed my daughter because it had no added sugar) was a mistake, but what really galls me is the absolutely lack of transparency. This is not New Coke -- this is more like reformulating Diet Coke with sugar, and hiding the fact completely. Makes me wonder what other things Cascadian Farms is hiding.

12/11/2009 6:15:39 PM

Cascadian Farm says:

For those who may not know, Cascadian Farm became part of General Mills in 2000, which helps us bring our products to more people who want to make organics foods part of their lives. We’d encourage you to read the Why Organics? section of this web site because there are indeed national organic standards and strict labeling rules that we adhere to. This labeling serves as an important reference for people shopping for organic foods. At the bottom of that web page, you’ll also find links to more resources if you’re interested. The Cascadian Farm Team

12/11/2009 4:35:50 PM

Cascadian Farm says:

Hi Sally, We hope you enjoy the Harvest Berry bars. The potassium comes from the raisins which are a natural source of potassium. The Cascadian Farm Team

12/11/2009 9:11:13 AM

David Cox says:

Just wanted to add one more thing that wasn't obvious to me until I went digging, in case other readers were not aware: Cascadian Farms is owned by General Mills, so any illusions of a folksy, small company are just as much a fraud as the idea that Purely O's are any healthier than Corn Pops. It should also be noted that there is no accepted definition of "organic" that has any legal meaning. Given that this is General Mills we're talking about, I wouldn't trust that it means anything at all, as far as Cascadian is concerned

12/10/2009 11:05:39 PM

Doug Vetter says:

Just had my first bowl of Purely O's since the recipe change and I almost heaved. It's nothing but sugar. I hate to waste food, but this garbage is going where it belongs...in the can out on the curb. This is the last box of Purely O's I'll buy unless I see the words "ORIGINAL RECIPE" in big letters on the box.

12/10/2009 7:36:47 PM

David Cox says:

I'll just echo what everyone else is saying: the change in formulation is extremely disturbing. If I wanted cheerios, I would have bought them. I will not be buying these any more.

12/10/2009 5:04:46 PM

sally knapp says:

Wow!! first time I've had any of your products but am convinced not to buy your Purely Os, ever, after all the negative feed back you've been getting. Hope you aren't like so many other businesses saying one thing and doing another..in other words: lying Actually I just bought a box of your "harvest berry chewy granola bars and while they were tasty my curiosity is aroused regarding the potassium that is listed under your nutrition facts listing on the side of your box. My question being: what product/s are included to make up the potassium that you have in your granola bars. Really would like to hear back from you folks

12/10/2009 1:26:36 PM

Owen McHugh Jan Calek says:

Hi: We were dissappointed to find that our latest purchase of Purely O's now has sugar as an ingredient. We had searched the cereal aisles at the grocery stores for cereals without sugar and had been pleased with Purely O's up until now. We will have to reopen the search.

12/10/2009 9:58:09 AM

Lars White says:

I agree with the sentiments already expressed about the unfortunate change of formulation of the purely O's. We just ran out of our last box of the old formulation yesterday. I did not even know that there had been a change until I opened a new box this morning. I thought something looked and tasted wrong with the O's, but to be sure I went to the car seat to dig a few of the old ones out. I was not going crazy, they had changed. Then I had to dig through the trash from yesterday to find the old box to compare the ingredients. I am shocked and disappointed with the change. I will not be purchasing the new formulation.

12/10/2009 6:37:25 AM

Rachel Motto says:

I am very diassappointed with the recent changes made to the ingredients in Purely O's--specifically the addition of sugar in three forms. I have been very happy with the product up to now, knowing that my son was getting a nutritous, organic cereal. I bought it despite the higher price, because unlike competitive brands of O's, this one was free of sugar. I now see no reason to continue purchasing this product. It's really a shame.

12/9/2009 1:29:23 PM

Dario says:

As my son is just finishing the last box of the old-formulation purely o's (a part of the batch of 5 boxes we found in the local Kroger) I thought I would add to the chorus. We went through dozens of boxes of this stuff over his short lifetime (7 years) and I feel sentimental thinking that this was probably his last protion of os. I think Cascadian Farm is making a monumental mistake, but hey, I am sure that their market "researchers" know what they are doing.

12/4/2009 5:57:21 AM

Rob says:

Bring it back the new product is no good. Here's the response I got back from the Cascadian Farm folks: Thank you for contacting Cascadian Farm regarding your dissatisfaction with the recent reformulation of Cascadian Farm organic Purely O's cereal. Your comment is very important to us and will be shared to the product team. Our goal is to give consumers quality products at a good value. Prior to introducing any product, extensive consumer testing is done. We conduct market research and product testing continuously to obtain consumer reaction to existing products and to changes being considered. Only when we feel confident that a product change will broaden its appeal will we alter a product's formulation. We are sorry that you do not agree that the recent change in Cascadian Farm organic Purely O's cereal was for the better. In keeping with our satisfaction guarantee, we would like to send you an adjustment for your purchase and it will be mailed to the address you have provided. Please allow 10-14 business days to arrive. We appreciate your loyalty to General Mills and hope you continue to choose our products. Sincerely, Imee B. Roberts

12/3/2009 11:13:16 AM

Sally Albright says:

Two words: New Coke

12/2/2009 8:28:01 PM

Grandma says:

I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I am over the change to "Purely Os". They were my grandbabies' first finger food and only acceptable processed cereal. How can you possibly justify ruining a great product by adding SUGAR and MOLASSES?!? Shame on you! I won't be buying this new cereal, and probably will pass on Cascadian Farms products altogether (my form of protest). While you're making changes, why not change the name to "IMPurely Os"? That's what we call them now.

12/2/2009 7:32:14 PM

Veronica says:

Shame on you for calling these sugar rings "pure." My son ate them daily but I won't give him these overprocessed things you are putting in the same box as the old Purely O's. I told our pediatrician who used to reccomend these as an early finger food to all of her patients, but she says that now she will be warning everybody away from them. And shame on you for listening to a focus group who likes sugar . Well, listen to your bottom line now as thousands of us stop buying your cereal.

11/30/2009 7:38:40 PM

Brett says:

My daughter misses her purely O's I am sorry that the new recipe is such a sell out. We want the old recipe back!

11/29/2009 10:46:49 AM

Stephanie Friedman says:

Please bring back the Original Purely O's!!!!!! I can't believe you changed the recipe, and did not even change the box. I was about to buy 3 boxes of Purely O's because we eat it almost everyday for breakfast. But, alas, there was a sign up in my supermarket (a Co-op) that alerted me to the change in recipe. I would probably never have looked at the back panel again, since the packaging is virtually the same. Very bad choice and very bad marketing! The reason people loved this product so much was that it was sugar free, and corn free. Now you have made a product just like everyone else. Congratulations. No w I will have to try some other cereals to find one that suits our family. Maybe you can have two Purely O's in the future. Purely' Os and O's plus.

11/28/2009 10:05:06 PM

Tia says:

I too am someone who used to LOVE the flavor, texture, and nutritional content of Purely O's (which had been my all-time favorite cereal) and cannot stand the icky new sugary version. At first I thought I had just bought a defective or mislabeled box. But it turns out that my kids and I will have to start over and search among your competitors' offerings for an acceptable alternative. Another loyal customer lost for good.

11/28/2009 12:17:31 AM

Russ Johnson says:

Up until recently, I have long enjoyed Purely O's as my favorite breakfast cereal. I have to agree with the comments that the change in the formula is dreadful. The appearance, the color and the taste are nothing like the original. Like so many others, I sought out cereals without sugar. Now I will eliminate Purely O's from my diet. I will now enjoy other breakfast cereals like Uncle Sam's and good old Shredded Wheat that have not changed their tried-and-true formulas. I am disappointed in Cascadian Farms and can only surmise that you have fallen into the corporate mindset of attempting to feed customers a diet of fat, sugar and salt in a never ending quest to capture more victims. Very sad.

11/26/2009 7:36:46 PM

Eric Davis says:

Agreed! As someone who eats a sugar-free diet, I was so excited to find Purely O's. However, the other day I opened a new box and noticed immediately that something was very different. I checked the ingredients and just as everyone here has said, it's FULL OF SUGAR!! Purely O's is now no better than the crap that lines the grocery store shelves. Even worse, you tried to sneak it in!!! Did you really think no one would notice? It's hard to find companies who actually care about the health of their customers. So many are just interested in feeding an unsuspecting country whatever junk they can to make a buck. I guess Cascadian has joined the latter.

11/24/2009 10:25:30 PM

Shelley Koeppen says:

I have to echo what others are saying about the new recipe for Purely O's. I was shocked and angry to find a completely different cereal inside when I opened a new box. I noticed the change in appearance first--thin little o's with a bleached look. I tasted them and was immediately aware of the sugar, with no trace of the former whole grain oat flavor. How disappointing. After reading the ingredients and seeing all the sweeteners now added (sugar, molasses, and tapioca syrup), I am frustrated that this is no longer an option for me to buy. And there was absolutely no warning or label aside from the list of ingredients to indicate the change. This used to be my favorite cereal--it was the only healthy alternative to Cheerios that I actually liked. PLEASE go back to the old recipe.

11/19/2009 2:56:47 PM

Tabitha Brown says:

Such a sad day. I really dislike the new surprise box of purely O's. Why not at least inform your customers? Why bother changing a perfectly good recipe? I won't be buying any more.

11/19/2009 9:12:49 AM

Andrea Mateo says:

The others have said it all. Surprised, shocked, angry, and mostly disappointed because I really LOVED the original. I hope you go back to the original recipe. If you do you better mark the box very loudly and clearly because I won't be buying anything else until you do. Please, thank you, Andrea

11/17/2009 7:43:05 PM

Gina says:

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the vanilla chip granola bars! They are great!!!

11/17/2009 8:54:46 AM

Ellen says:

Can anyone explain the change in the Honey Nut O's? I initially thought it was simply a bad batch of cereal. My daughter and husband would eat this cereal every morning, now I have 5!! boxes that no one will touch. At $4.50 or $4.99 a box...that is very disappointing, not to mention the nutritional value and additional cost of trial and error to find a new cereal.

11/16/2009 7:36:31 AM

Meredith says:

You have lost my business. You duped me. You won't get me back. Back to oatmeal it is.

11/15/2009 3:20:22 PM

Meredith larrabee says:

I used to buy your products all the time. Hey were staples. I will never buy your produce again . I am angry and feel duped. All that sugar...who are you? The cereal giants? Gross. And ******.

11/15/2009 3:17:54 PM

Tea Pollock says:

I think most people bought your Purely O's for their good nutritional value. You will lose all those customers now as we can get better nutrition from GM Cheerios! And to bring on the change without warning on the box is insulting. Very poor taste on both accounts.

11/15/2009 1:42:07 PM

Dave says:

What happened to the chocolate in your dark chocolate almond granola cereral? I was going to go back to the store and return it as defective when I started reading this blog and found all the complaints about you changing, unannounced, cereal recipes unannounced. So have you removed all the chocolate from the choco granola? If so, I won't be buying it any more. Also, the other writer is right, if you change the recipe, you should say that on the box (think of it a marketing opportunity). Bring back the chocolate! thanks

11/14/2009 8:17:29 AM

Pauline Carter says:

I spent some time picking out all the raisins from your raisin bran cereal and saving to cook in oatmeal. They are way too hard and dry for me to chew otherwise. The flakes were just fine but I won't be buying that cereal again.

11/13/2009 5:19:33 PM

Cascadian Farm Team says:

Hi Earl, thank you for your comment. I'm sorry that you're unhappy with our bars! We'd like to hear more from you, so please give us a call: (800) 624-4123

11/12/2009 3:47:30 PM

Earl says:

Your chewy granola bars are packaged with a clump of syrup in one end. It would be nice if Cascadian Farm actually responded to customer questions.

11/7/2009 4:20:47 PM

Alannah says:

As a mother I look to buy my family healthy breakfast options. Your new Purely O's no longer make the cut. I am taking a break from buying any more Cascadian Farm products and will be looking around for another breakfast cereal brand that has a nutritional value more like your original Purely O's.

11/3/2009 12:31:48 PM

David says:

Did someone at your organization think you could silently change the appearance, texture, flavor, and sugar quantity (among other ingredients) without consumers noticing? There are a lot of customers out here who are willing to support organic and/or thoughtful food producers....and we are willing to pay more to support producers who are on board with our food philosophy. You changed Purely-O's for the worse, and you seem to have made the changes secretly, without telling your consumers. Very disappointing in so many ways. I hope your lower production cost makes up for a lot of lost customers. I'm done supporting all Cascadian Farms products.

11/2/2009 1:57:39 PM

Melissa says:

The new Purely Os formula has TRIPLE the sugar content of the old recipe. And we wonder why we have a chronic obesity problem in this country--because corporations pawn off "healthy" products that are full of corn and sugar, all in an attempt to get people to eat and buy more of them. I'm done buying all Cascadian Farms products and am so disappointed in this company. To change the formula so radically and not even note it on the box borders on unethical.

11/2/2009 9:59:31 AM

tonya says:

i had been told that general mills was now producing for you guys but now i am convinced it is true, extremely disappointed, i have been giving this to my baby and just happened to read the label this evening, I AM SOOOOO DONE WITH ANY CASCADIAN FARMS PRODUCTS FROM NOW ON, once again, the $ speaks louder and clearer than conscience.

10/30/2009 7:43:41 PM

Philip Mariconda says:

I am in the same situation as many of you: avoiding sugar and very surprised that a great cereal like Purely-Os added multiple sweeteners. I will also stop buying Purely-Os (for the first time in a few years) until the sweeteners are removed or I find another brand to substitute.

10/30/2009 1:27:22 PM

Philip Mariconda says:

I am in the same situation as many of you: avoiding sugar and very surprised that a great cereal like Purely-Os added multiple sweeteners. I will also stop buying Purely-Os (for the first time in a few years) until the sweeteners are removed or I find another brand to substitute.

10/30/2009 1:26:28 PM

Tiana Tsizaza-Sheely says:

I don't know why I felt outraged right after I opened the new purely Os this morning, as I was getting ready to feed my 16 month-old daughter her breakfast, and found out that something wasn't right. The color of the cereal seemed to have changed. So, I decided to taste it. It tasted sweeter than usual. Then I decided to read the ingredients and found the sugar, tapioca syrup, corn meal, and molasses on the new box. I compared these ingredients with what was stated on the empty box, and there they were, added to the new box, plus, the whole grain barley flour was gone. The main reasons I've used this product over the years include its healthful ingredients and its pleasant taste (because the absence of added sweetness). Now, I, too, will stop buying this product along with other cascadian farms products, as all of my friends have already decided. I express my sadness and disappointment over this, but my responsibility, as a mother, includes keeping my family healthy.

10/30/2009 12:11:59 PM

Jessica Russell says:

O.k. I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about this. It's just cereal. However, I just actually opened the box I purchased (unknowingly) with the new ingredients and I'm shocked. It looks synthetic and tastes gross. I have another box open that is the old formula and comparing them is like night and day, in taste, texture, and color. I even made my husband (who eats anything) compare the two and he was shocked at how bad the new formula tasted. Did research really tell you that this new formula tasted better? It left a bad taste in my mouth afterward. The old version tastes so much better. I would never feed this to my kids.

10/28/2009 11:19:15 PM

Jessica Russell says:

I want to echo the sentiments of these comments. I have 15 month old twins, and I like to limit the sugar in their diets. There are very few finger food out there that have no added sugar so I was faithfully buying Purely O's every other week to give them as a healthy snack. I was very dismayed to hear from another parent about the change in ingredients, especially since the look of the box gives no indication of such a change. I am a member of numerous mothers groups and on the board of directors of my local twins club, and across the board the moms I know are disappointed in this development. I will no longer be buying this product, and I am considering not purchasing from this brand altogether in the future based on the less than forthcoming way this product was changed. Of course you wouldn't want to put "Now, with MORE sugar!" on the front of your box. Doesn't that tell you something? If it's not something you want to make public, it's probably not a good thing. Such a shame. I'm telling all my mom friends to please consider purchasing another "O's" product to feed their kids.

10/28/2009 2:25:57 PM

Cascadian Farm Team says:

Wow This is really great feedback! We love that this blog gives us a chance for us to hear from you directly and we're excited that you're here. It certainly is hard to hear that we have disappointed several of you - and for that we're truly sorry. As we said earlier, this recipe change was something that our team researched and decided on as an improvement, but it's clear that not everyone sees it that way. Concetta, Jacy, Diane, Jocelyn, Jasmine, Gretchen, Amanda, Al and Lisa: Thank you for your honest feedback! We do hope that you'll continue to share your thoughts with us - and please feel free to email us at: smallplanetfoods@sma llplanetfoods.com so that we can keep you posted!

10/28/2009 10:33:23 AM

Lisa says:

I, too, just wanted to add my extreme disappointment in the change with Purely O's. I will no longer be buying this product as a healthy cereal for my daughter. It's disappointing that this "healthy, organic cereal" is now less healthy than regular old Cheerios. I was so excited to be able to purchase a limited ingredient cereal for my daughter, and now it's not available any more. Sugar does not need to be a part of every cereal out there.

10/28/2009 9:46:41 AM

Al Hutch says:

I too will no longer be buying "purely O's", for my kids. I agree that they now taste bad: I'm sure my kids could get used to them, but I will no longer be buying my box a week. I also request that you remove any endorsements from health-oriented reviewers such as www.thehealthysnacks blog.com from your website and advertising.

10/28/2009 6:23:54 AM

Cascadian Farm Team says:

Thank you for your feedback regarding the recent change on our Cascadian Farm Purely O’s. We were looking to make and improvement and we apologize if this change has negatively impacted your liking of this product. From time to time we do make changes to our products for different reasons, and we would like to keep you appraised of them as well as get more of your input on this change. If you are interested, please send us your contact information at smallplanetfoods@sma llplanetfoods.com.

10/26/2009 10:19:13 PM

Amanda Lawson says:

I am also so very angry even at the change to the Purely O's! They can no longer be called Purely O's due to all the crap that's been added! You have ruined the only O's cereal me and my husband can eat since we are intolerant to can sugar and my husband cannot have tapioca syrup since it is a potato by product and he is allergic to potato! Why have you done this?! We get so irritated that every time we pick up a box of cereal (organic or natural of course) that it always contains either sugar, evaporated cane juice, sugar beet, molasses, or some kind of tapioca syrup. What is wrong with agave, or brown rice syrup, or how about no sweetener at all, and let people add sweetener if they choose, like the recipe was before?! Why change a perfectly good item? I can no longer eat any of your cereals since that was the only one I could have (that I cared to eat anyway). You have lost a customer, unless you change it back. I hope you read your comments because most people seem to be rather upset as well......... not a good product move........

10/26/2009 10:46:15 AM

Gretchen Jude says:

I could tell something was wrong when I poured my purely O's into the bowl. Then I tasted it--and had to make sure I had bought the right ones. As everyone is saying, WHY?? I loved the old recipe! If I eat this new version for breakfast, I'll feel ill all day! This product used to be a treat for me--now it's a disappointing waste of money. I won't ever buy your cereal again.

10/25/2009 11:45:33 PM

Jasmine says:

I am so disappointed in the change to Purely O's! I have been buying them for my toddler as a snack since she has been born precisely because they had NO sugar or any sweeteners at all. Not only am I sad that the recipe has been changed, I'm also mad that there was no mention of the new version on the box. I don't eat the cereal myself and just today randomly tasted one from my daughters bowl. I have been unknowingly feeding my daughter sugar! At the very least you should be making your customers aware of the change in recipe. Please, change this cereal back!

10/25/2009 9:46:07 PM

Jocelyn says:

I wanted to agree with the all the negative comments about the new Purely Os. With increase of sugar and decease of taste. I will not be buying them for my family, which is sad since we loved them. Please let me know if you every go back to the old recipe. I will be buying cheaper and less sugar variates instead.

10/25/2009 5:46:40 PM

Diane Schwickerath says:

Your Purely O's has been my favorite cold ceral for years. As soon as I poured some from a new box into a bowl, I knew something was different. The cereal was yellowish. Then I tasted it and was so sad that it no longer tasted like oats. The original recipe had some texture to it, I loved it. The new version tastes so processed and bland. I don't personally have issues with sugar, but it was great not getting the extra sugar in the orignal version; it tasted better that way. Why the change? I had to give away that box of Purely O's cereal and go out and buy my second favorite cereal which is not a Cascadian Farms product. I would pay more if I could get my wonderful, original, Purely O's back.

10/24/2009 1:39:04 PM

Jacy Armenti says:

I am so disappointed about the change in your cereal recipe! Cascadian Farm Purely Os is one of the only breakfast cereals that we can have in our household precisely because has NO sugar...Several of us have medical conditions that make consuming sugar (organic sugar and cane juice still count as sugar!!!) dangerous or impossible. What was the reasoning behind this recipe change? Please go back to the original recipe. Until then we cannot buy this product. If you feel it is absolutely necessary to make Os with sugar, why can't you also continue to produce the sugarless kind?

10/24/2009 10:26:00 AM

Concetta Stoto says:

Adding sugar, molasses, and more corn to your Purely Os has made it taste dreadful, and look disgusting. I feel disappointed. As a person who cannot eat sugar without becoming physically ill, I am now forced to search for other organic and sugar free cereal. My choices were already limited, and even moreso now. The original Purely Os taste was exquisitely oatie and delicious. Please keep in mind that many of your customers cannot or will not eat sugar, whether it's "organic" or not. If you must add sweetener (which really diminishes the flavor of whole grain foods) perhaps just honey or agave nectar could be used. I'd be willing to pay an extra little bit of money for quality whole food, not food diluted with sugars. Thank you. Concetta

10/22/2009 3:50:48 PM

Concetta Stoto says:

Today is a sad day for me: I bought my usual box of Cascadian Farm Purely Os, and couldn't wait to have a bowl for a quick snack. Anticipating the usual oatie, delicious flavor, my taste buds instead were assaulted by the taste of corn and sugar! I looked at the cereal: it was yellow and translucent. What happened to those luscious, delicious oatified Os? I read the ingredients label and was dismayed to see SUGAR and MOLASSES in the new concoction, as well as a lot of corn. I cannot eat sugar--it makes me physically ill. This includes "organic sugar". It's STILL sugar. I once could rely on Purely Os for great flavor and nutrition for breakfast. Now I cannot eat it. I feel disappointed. In the old days, one could find organic whole food, free of sugar. Sadly, my choices--and that of many others who do not and cannot eat sugar--are once again becoming limited. I will now have to search for a different, equally or more delicious breakfast dereal which is whole food and free of sugar. Or, you guys can return to the old recipe....... Con cetta

10/22/2009 3:43:07 PM